Hostage
by Potgenie
Summary: 02/AU. Twelve people are held hostage in Odaiba Supermart by a mysterious shooter.
1. Tonight, Tonight

**New story idea that has been swimming in my head for awhile! I really should update my other stories first... but oh well! Here goes! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. And I have no idea if Odaiba Supermart really exists. If it does, I don't own it either.**

**(Stupid website won't let me put the chapter title in full…)**

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter One: Tonight, Tonight, Under That Bright Neon Light

* * *

For two years, the plot of land was nothing but a giant, flat field of grass, where children sometimes played soccer and families held picnics during weekends. It was near the neighbourhood district of Odaiba and fairly close to the train station. It was beautiful. It would also only be a matter of time before sharp-minded businessmen turned it into something else.

Now, the big grass field no longer exists. The kids missed the carefree days of old soccer games and nonsensical chatter while lying sprawled on the grass. Mothers missed watching their children run around and squeal in the midst of a hearty picnic while their husbands chased after them. Others missed it for the view it provided, for the fact that it was the one thing that stood out from the many modern buildings in the district. But mostly, people saw the replacement as ideal.

The replacement didn't come as a surprise. It was a large supermart – the largest, in fact, in the entire city. Enormous and imposing, it was a square white building with darkened windows, the words _Odaiba Supermart _inscribed in navy blue block letters on the front. Two storeys tall and absolutely gigantic, it sold all sorts of things – from the usual stuff you see in supermarkets to the interesting, even exotic ones – things that couldn't be found in normal supermarts. Special, imported junk food from an unheard of nation; out-of-the-world, vintage earrings sold at absurdly low prices, cheese-flavoured ice-cream... you name it, they had it. One could live inside the mart and live comfortably for months – after all, they sold mattresses too.

It was open twenty-four hours. Perfect for late-night shoppers, for hungry young couples out for a stroll, perfect for lonely homeless people with nowhere else to seek shelter. _Odaiba Supermart_ was only five months old, but it had already become a central part of the people there.

---

For them, it was more than just an ordinary supermart.

For her, it was the promise of the start of a new life. A fresh dropout from college, it was where she would be starting her new job as a cashier. She was going to be working the night shift on weekdays. It would be fun, she told herself, for she was always ever the optimist.

For the innocent young couple, it was their special weekly hangout. Friday was the one day they could stay out late and usually, they went to the supermart. There were many like them there, secretly envied by others not in their position; young, naive and lively, they were easily satisfied and little things made their day. In the supermart, they could spend hours - pointing out things that were far too expensive and things that were far too cheap, giggling and squirming at the raw meat section and buying wacky-flavoured chocolate at the tidbits section.

For him, it was where he could get away from it all. It was his source of freedom. When life got too pressurizing and you needed a breather, what better place to escape to but a large building with all the space you need, and all the time in the world for you to hang out at? He lived in the next town, which was quite a distance away, but frequented it quite often all the same.

For him, it was a mark of his recently-gained independence. Raised in a strict, traditional family, it was only recently that he was allowed out late on his own. Where else to begin your nightly endeavours but at the district's famous supermart?

For him and him, it was a good place for the recently-together couple to hang out. Faced from all sides with the pressure of traditional values and family objection, it _was _the best place to escape and just be themselves – plus, the supermart sold their favourite beer at the cheapest price. Besides, it was also the perfect chance to spy on their younger siblings, who coincidentally loved to frequent the supermart as well.

For him, it was the best place to study. The cosy little cafe tucked away in a corner was always quiet and vacant. They also sold yummy cinnamon buns. You may be wondering this - who would study on a Friday night? Well, Medical school was a tough place to be - especially if you got in through hardwork and not smarts, and his roommate annoyed him to no end. Life for him was a constant stream of memorized facts and scientific images.

For her and him, two bickering best friends, these trips were a little tradition of theirs. They bought weekly midnight treats for each other, taking turns to do so. On odd weeks, he treated her to whatever she wanted. On even weeks, she treated him to the same thing – chocolate-covered jelly beans, a quessential favourite of his. That week was the odd week, and she already knew that she wanted nothing more than a large, juicy peach.

For him, it was the place he stopped by every Friday, when his job ended late and he stopped by for a quick nightly buy... his Friday nights were never much. He told himself he didn't feel lonely.

For her, Friday night was grocery night. It may sound like a weird time for grocery shopping, but she was a busy girl, a star sports player, and she couldn't afford to buy her necessities any other day. On Friday nights the mart was strangely emptier. All the better for her – she was a patient soul but sometimes, you just get tired of aspiring young players who recognized you. Everybody needed their 'me' time.

And lastly, for him, the one who had been rejected far too often, been lonely far too long, been misunderstood practically since birth – this was probably the most important day of his life. Screw the scholarship offers, the countless trophies in his cabinet, the crumpled picture of his family he kept in his wallet and looked at when his mother cried that he never seemed to care. This was the final act. This was the chance to prove himself. This was the time to show to them, to the whole world, that he had never been what _they _thought he was.

He walked toward the building and as the automatic doors opened, he felt, for the first time, doubt building up in his mind. Was he really going to do this? There would be no turning back if he went on. Was this what he really wanted?

And then the laughing young couple strolled past him into the supermart, arms wrapped around each other, lost in their own little world. He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed girlishly, the sound of her laughter like the tinkling of bells in the breeze. They looked so happy.

_Why can't I be like that?_

And then the thought he had had for so many years popped effortlessly into his mind.

_Because you're different, that's why._

Resolve thickened and decision made in the swiftness of those few seconds, he straightened and followed the couple in. His fingers brushed the object in his large pocket, an object that brought fear to people's hearts at first sight. It hadn't been easy, getting it. Pushing his glasses up his sweaty nosebridge, he paused briefly for one last time, listening to the melodious tune playing in the mart. It sounded like the reptitive tune of a musical box - light, cheerful and empty.

He was ready.

**TBC**

**This is the kind of story that should only be posted once you have a concrete idea for the entire thing... but I'm the impatient sort. Ah well. I've never written for this kind of (darker) genre before, so please tell me what you think! And if you have any ideas on how you think the plot should unravel, I'd be happy to hear them! I've got a faint idea myself but things still need to be finalized.**

**And finally... can you guess who is who? Yes, there're thirteen people. But yes, they're all characters from the show! I hope I've managed to bring in some mystery! Now click on the review button and gimme some love! :D**


	2. You Can’t Always Have What You Want

**I've got a free day today and some inspiration! So here's chapter two :D I'm having fun writing this story!**

**Thanks so much to Jaeda star, Aster Selene, PrincessJaded, Blazing Chaos, SugarSpiral, Blondie121147, EmeraldSweetheart, emotionless-robot, Light-of-Hope-07, HLTY, guavawolf and alienstarship for reviewing! I'm happy some of you don't really know who's who! chapter will probably shed a little more light!**

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Two: You Can't Always Have What You Want

* * *

_11.38pm_

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be working so late on a Friday night," the middle-aged man slouched forward, wearing a leery, arrogant smirk as he approached.

She saw the strands of hair sticking out of his nostrils, the sleep-crud encrusted in his eyes, the dirt under his fingernails and tried not to gag. He placed three cans of beer on the counter and leaned forward. "How about joining me for a late-night drink instead?"

She could, and would never understand why some people actually wanted to be hit on. How fun was it to have hairy men smelling of alcohol and cigarettes coming on to you? How was this supposed to be flattering? Being stopped by random strangers on the street and being asked the same thing everytime - this had been happening to her since forever. She hated it. And yet she couldn't complain to her friends - or anybody, for that matter - because they didn't understand her frustration. They said these encounters were a testament to her attractiveness. Every cheesy pick-up line was a confidence booster for her. What was there to be upset over?

"Sorry, but no thanks," She managed to keep a polite smile on her face as she scanned the barcodes on the cans and put them into a plastic bag. The man grunted slightly and leaned even closer.

"That will be nine hundred yen," she interrupted quickly as the man opened his mouth to say something more. A look of displeasure flashed across his features and he dug into his pocket, pulling out a few crumpled notes.

"It's your loss, missy." He threw the notes down on the counter and trampled out, swinging the plastic bag in his hands.

She watched him leave, feeling deflated. The only other cashier manning the counter next to hers turned and grinned at her. It was a friendly smile, but she could see the envy in her eyes.

"How'd you manage to attract them all? This is only your first day and at least three guys have come on to you!" The other girl's tone was wistful. "Things like that never happen to me."

She forced a smile in return and turned away slightly, pulling her long hair into a tight ponytail.

Yes, she attracted them _all _– them who were interested in nothing more than a fling, them who were up to no good, them who were only in for the looks.

Why couldn't she ever get the good guys?

* * *

_11:42pm_

"So what do you want for your treat today?"

The two friends walked down the aisle together, holding hands and swinging them as though they were little kids. She pretended to look thoughtful, even though she already knew full well what it was that she wanted.

"I want a huge, juicy peach!" She said finally, turning to beam at him. He burst out laughing, obviously amused.

"Of all things?" He poked her playfully in the ribs and she squealed. "C'mon, there're so many other wonderful things to choose from and all you want is a _peach_?"

"Peaches are wonderful too," she giggled, dragging him away from the junk food section, where he had been contemplating for the past ten minutes, and toward the fruit section. "Besides, this is called _variety_. I choose something different all the time. Unlike some other person who only wants the same thing every even week!"

"Fine, fine," he rolled his eyes and she turned, sticking her tongue out at him.

He blinked and stopped in his tracks, a look of surprise crossing his features.

"What?"

"Eh – wait." He replied, still staring at her. She stopped too, evidently confused, and he scratched his head, staring at her.

"What's up now?"

"What happened to your _glasses_?" He asked a little uncertainly. His best friend's serious myopia was well-known; she had the highest degree in her entire level. She was practically blind without her glasses. "You're not wearing them!"

Now it was her turn to look confused. But she recovered quickly, reaching out to smack the back of his head smartly.

"OW! What!"

"You dummy!" She exclaimed, feeling the strange urge to giggle once more. This was just like _him_. "I've been wearing contact lenses for the past five days! EVERYONE has commented on it but you... I wondered why! Don't tell me you haven't noticed!"

"I – "

She shook her head, laughing. "Typical."

"Well, at least I eventually noticed! Don't you think I'm improving?"

"Sadly, yes. Remember when you didn't notice that I highlighted my hair until a whole month later?" He looked sheepish, and she smirked.

One of those sudden hunger pangs hit her just then, and she tugged at him harder, attention returning to her long-anticipated treat. "Come on! Let's go before the freshest ones are all sold out!"

They hurried to the fruits section. She sang happily under her breath. He chuckled at her off-key notes, stealing another glance at her as they walked. How could he only have noticed now? She looked so _different._

* * *

_11:50pm_

His phone was ringing, and he couldn't find it. Cursing silently (for it was simply rude manners to curse out loud in public), he dug around in his humongous bag until he eventually located the silver object.

"Hello?" He couldn't keep the impatience out of his voice as he answered.

"Oh, darling, don't use that tone on me," He cringed, as he always did when his mother called him by one of those affectionate nicknames. "Where are you? It's so late, it's nearly midnight! I was getting really worried. Are you going to be back soon?"

_So much for being independent. _He was fifteen but felt like he was constantly treated like a twelve-year-old, or worse. "I'll be home late tonight, Mum," he said, keeping his tone polite as he spoke. "Seriously, I'll be fine." On the other end of the line, she continued to rattle on, and it was all he could do not to heave an irritated sigh.

"No, Mum! You know perfectly well that Odaiba is a very safe city. I – ow!"

He had collided hard into something, and upon looking up he realised that it was a person. Dressed in a navy blue jacket with the hood up, the guy stumbled backward, losing his balance. He reached out quickly, steadying the guy before he fell.

"I'm so sorry," he bowed in apology, the years of teachings and lecturing on good manners engraved in him. "Uh – no, I'm not talking to you, Mum," he smiled apologetically at the guy, returning quickly to his phone call. "Look – I'll try and get home in an hour or so, aright? For God's sake!" Why couldn't his mother let him finish saying something without having to interrupt? "Just let me do what I want, will you?"And with that he hung up without so much as a goodbye.

He had never done that before. Neither had he ever snapped at his mother, whether over the phone or in person. He sighed, knowing full well that yet another lecture awaited him back home. _Haven't I taught you how RUDE it is to hang up on somebody? Your own mother, no less...!_

The guy he had crashed into was still standing there, apparently examining cans of preserved fruit. Putting his phone back into his bag, he turned to look at the guy. "I'm so sorry," he began, "I wasn't looking – "

The guy turned to look at him. There was something piercing about his gaze, the intensity in his eyes, that made him stop in his speech. His expression was unreadable.

"You should be nicer to your mother," he spoke abruptly, and his voice was slow and deep. He picked up a can of tinned pineapple and turned it over, as though checking for the expiry date. "It's nice to have a mother who cares so much."

"Uh," was all he could manage as a reply. The guy slowly put the can back onto the shelf and turned his gaze back onto him. His eyes were a startling shade of indigo.

"Not everybody is as lucky as you to have that."

OK, this guys was officially creeping him out. He smiled nervously and backed away quickly, hurrying down the next few aisles.

Seriously, what _was _wrong with people these days? They were much too interfering for his liking.

* * *

People never appreciated what they had. The grass was always greener on the other side, huh? She had the looks but bemoaned her misfortune at always meeting the wrong guys. She was his best friend in the world but he hardly ever noticed anything about her. He had a mother that loved him so much but all he felt was annoyance toward her.

People were selfish and ignorant. They thought they had nothing when in fact they had it all.

It was up to him to teach them all a lesson.

**TBC**

**Short chapter with more details about with who five of the characters are! Though I think most of them are quite easy to figure out, given your reviews. :) I love how some of you are stumped, though! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Just Perfect

**Fast update yeah!!**

**So I wanted to create some sort of updating sequence, and the next one in line was supposed to be ****The New Neighbours****. Well... Oops!**

**Review replies, as usual:**

**PrincessJaded: **Haha! I would love to know your guesses! ;) All will be revealed... in good time. I've got some ideas about Sports Camp now; I'll probably update it once I get more free time! :D

**SugarSpiral: **...Provided that they ARE Dai and Miyako, of course! Ha! Thanks – I quite like the style I'm using too, heh.

**EmeraldSweetheart: **You're not dumb! And you never know! :D

**Blazing Chaos: **Oops! I meant yen, like the notes version of their money. I always forget that dollar is like, a currency too, since the term is used in quite a lot of countries... silly me. Thanks for the review!

**Also thanks to alienstarship, Oo-Violetmoon-oO, Raech, emotionless-robot and guavawolf for your lovely reviews! And for those who put Hostage on alert but didn't review: HMPH! (Yeah, I'm really mature, by the way.)**

**On with chapter three!**

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Three: Just Perfect

* * *

_12:01am_

She snuggled closer to him as they strolled slowly down the frozen food aisle.

"I'm cold," She whispered, smiling up at him. He smiled affectionatly back and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"Want my jacket?" He asked, tugging at his dark green hoodie jacket. She shook her head, indicating with a nod of her head that the snuggling was enough.

"I always think grocery shopping as a couple seems so fun," she told him, her gaze wandering to the other areas of the supermart. "Choosing your favourite snacks, fighting over the best brand of shampoo, selecting the freshest fruits together..." She glanced over at the fruits section nearby, where two teenagers were comparing peaches with almost too much enthusiasm.

"We've never done grocery shopping together, have we?" He said wonderingly.

"I can't say we have..." She trailed off, and their eyes met.

They often understood what each other was thinking without having to speak. They had known each other since they were toddlers, starting out from best friends and eventually, the perfect couple, as everyone called them. They were the envy of so many people.

The two exchanged an excited grin and without another word, turned around and hurried off to grab a trolley.

Weren't they just nauseatingly perfect?

* * *

_12:12am_

How incredibly bored was he?

_Let me count the ways..._

He shook his head, feeling himself beginning to nod off. This couldn't do! He had his major exam coming up in less than a month, and he needed to pass it to be able to move up...

He had always thought he'd love Medical School. His father and older brother had always shared with him passionate stories about their times there, their invaluable interactions with different patients, hands-on experiences that would change their lives forever.

He just didn't feel the same way.

His familyline was a whole series of doctors, and so it was expected that he would be the next one. It had always been his ambition since grade school, or so he told himself. He had always enjoyed Biology lessons, at any rate, and that was good enough for everybody.

He stared at the page in front of him, a large diagram of the spinal cord staring back at him. He still had about three more chapters to cover, and one chapter was about fifty pages long.

The unexpected voice that spoke in his head startled him: _This is boring._

Just when he thought things were going so well – he had a steady career ahead of him, he was studying something that so many people sought after, he was finally pursuing his dreams – this one little thought threw him off, disoriented him. It felt like someone had just poured a whole bucket of icy water over his head. He didn't know what to think – never had he felt this way.

_I'm just tired._ He stood up quickly and walked over to the counter. He just needed a cup of hot coffee.

* * *

_12:15am_

"He's pulling the trolley, and she's sitting in it!"

The pair burst out laughing from their hiding spot – behind a tower of cans – then quickly stifled their laughter. Spying was hard work. Who knew that it would be so difficult to keep quiet?

"I can't believe them," He chuckled and bent down lower – bits of his hair were poking above the tower of cans. "Who would have thought? One minute they were gurgling babies, and then – bam! – now they're the dream couple."

"Remember how you reacted when you first found out?" His other half grinned lazily. "You almost went ballistic!"

"Hey, she's my little sister after all," He said defensively, folding his arms. "I have every right to be worried!"

"Yeah, yeah, you silly worrywart," He returned with an affectionate smile. "I'd give you a kiss right now, but your hair is in a mess."

"What has that got to do with wanting to kiss me?" He couldn't help but pout.

"You know how I hate it when your hair pokes my eyes."

"And you know how I hate it when I smell your hair gel when we get too close." He grinned at his witty repartee, leaning back against the tower coolly.

"HEY! Watch it!"

* * *

_12:16am_

He should be home now – heck, he was still in his school uniform. But he just couldn't bring himself to leave the supermart and walk the lonely walk to the train station. Well, it wasn't like he felt any less lonely here – but there was something strangely comforting about the solitude here as compared to the emptiness he felt everywhere else.

He had gotten back his history report earlier that day. He had aced it, a perfect score. His parents would be so pleased.

He could hardly remember the times when he wasn't perfect, but strived so hard to be, anymore. He wanted to impress his parents and his brother so badly, and his grades and other achievements just weren't good enough. He had worked so hard that he forgot about everything else.

Now, he was well aware that he had just been seeking for attention. And yes, he had gotten the attention all right. And everyone thought he was perfect. The perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect student...

But it just wasn't him.

* * *

_12:18am_

Time was ticking and it was already a little past midnight. He would have to strike sooner or later.

Sweaty palms, hitched breathing, accelerated heartbeat... he was scared and he didn't know why. Pretty soon, he would be the one _scaring _other people. He had been thinking about this day for so long. Planning, perfecting it. And now...

He reached into his pocket and his fingers curled around the object that had been the biggest obstacle in his plan – it hadn't been easy to obtain it. In his head, he mentally rehearsed the action plan he had drawn up. Time for step one...

And perhaps Lady Luck was on his side – or perhaps this was fate, and he was meant to do this – for his target strolled right past at that very moment, whistling nonchalantly and oblivious to his surroundings.

His lips curled into a smile. _Just perfect._

**TBC**

**So I think I've "introduced" everyone except for two characters! Heh heh heh... who are they?**

**I think some of the people in this chapter are quite easy to guess. Do you know who? :D And I hope you guys have noticed that I'm trying to put in a theme for every chapter, usually with it as the chapter title!**

**Review please!!! They're really the main reason that keeps me updating! **


	4. How To Save A Life

**Hey guys! Proudly presenting chapter four... I'm really on a roll with this story! I know it took really long to get to the action (which finally starts in this chapter) but I wanted to give a nice background and description of the characters. Hope you guys will enjoy this more action-packed chapter! **

**Review replies, as usual...**

**HLTY: **Nice guesses! You'll be finding out if some of them are correct in just a bit! :D

**PrincessJaded: **Iori the shooter? *ponders* Why would that be hilarious? I'd imagine he'd be pretty scary, especially with that haircut! And yeah, sorry it took so long to get to the action. I wanted to give each of the characters a proper background. But now the exciting part's finally begun!

**alienstarship: **Really? I'd love to know your guesses! Thanks! :)

**Light-of-Hope-07: **No worries! I was referring to those that just put my story on alert without leaving a review or anything. Haha I hope the couplings you have in mind are accurate then! And I love the point you are making!

**Raech: **I'm flattered! Thanks! Yes... who can be the mysterious shooter!

**Jaeda Star: **Thanks so much!

**Oo-Violetmoon-oO: **Ah, how did that blow your theory? You never know... (I'm just trying to be annoying and illusive!)

**emotionless-robot: **Get out of that corner, it's mine!! . But anyway... *ahem* the draggy introductions are over, finally the action's here!

**guavawolf: **Aww. I hope this chapter clears up your confusion!

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Four: How To Save A Life

* * *

_12:18am_

It was just another night at work. Same old routine - regular round checks with his favourite doughnuts. He strolled along leisurely, gazing around casually to make sure that nobody was causing trouble. His gaze shifted over to the tower of cans, where two boys were giggling and behaving rather intimately. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, only to stare in horror and anger as one of them actually _dared _to lean against the precariously built tower!

"Hey! WATCH IT!"

The pair looked up, startled at the sudden shout. A skinny, balding and absolutely furious security guard was storming over to them, walkie-talkie in one hand and a half-eaten cream doughnut in another.

"I could see you two from two aisles away!" He spat at the couple, gesturing angrily. "Faggots like you should go back where you belong, instead of making trouble around here! Do you know how long it took to stack these cans?"

The two boys exchanged annoyed looks. The one with carefully-styled blonde hair spoke up inidignantly. "_You_ are the one that's making trouble, calling us names – "

He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence as the tower of cans began to tilt over. Grabbing his partner's hand instinctively, they jumped out of the way just in time, staring in dismay as all the cans collapsed onto the floor with a resounding _crash_. Quite a few burst open, a mess of baked beans splashing all over their shoes.

"Oh shit!" Running his fingers through his messy mop of hair, the other boy groaned inwardly, fully aware of the extent of the damage they had just done. Reluctantly, he turned to look at the security guard. His eyes were bulging with what looked like pure shock and anger, and his doughnut slipped from his hand and onto the floor.

"We're in so much trouble," He whispered.

And at that very moment, the guard swayed on the spot and toppled over face-first, a gaping hole in the back of his head.

* * *

_12:20am_

She was enjoying her weekly luxury of shopping in peace, idly walking along the fruit juice section and deciding between carrot and orange. It was when she was examining a carton of grapefruit juice when a horrifically loud noise caused her to practically jump out of her skin.

She looked around, half-frightened. There was nobody in the vicinity at all. What could have possibly caused that noise? She waited half a beat, but nothing else happened. Perhaps some staff had simply overturned or dropped some goods by accident. It was probably nothing serious. She had always been the paranoid type... unconsciously, her grip tightened around her tennis racket.

She quickly picked up a bottle of carrot juice, suddenly losing the desire to grocery shop. It was funny how little things made her so jumpy these days. It all started two weeks ago, when she had received a mysterious note from a secret admirer who professed to be one her oldest fans. It hadn't flattered her, simply creeped her out. And then last week, a couple of paparazzi had followed her home in the middle of the night, even though there was absolutely nothing exciting or news-worthy about her life right now. She had screamed at them like a banshee. Worst photograph of her, ever.

The supermart seemed eerily quiet now, though usually she liked the peace and emptiness of an empty shop. She quickened her footsteps and turned into the aisle stocked with housecleaning equipment and pesticides, knowing that it would lead to a shorter way to the counter.

She never made it past the last shelf, though, because all of a sudden she felt a tight grip on her arm. She let out a scream before she could stop herself and then felt something clamp over her mouth. Somebody was whispering something in her ear, but in her panic she couldn't make it out...

She caught a few disjointed words – _famous... misfortune..._ – and then the world went black.

* * *

_12:22am_

"No!" Still in shock at the sight before him, he dashed over to the still body, staring in horror at the pool of blood that was rapidly forming on the polished tiles. With trembling fingers, he reached forward and checked for breathing, for a pulse, for any signs of life. There were none.

"He's dead. Yamato – he's dead." He couldn't keep his voice from shaking.

_"No."_ The other boy's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, and he stumbled backward as the full meaning of the words hit him. "Fuck, no!" He rushed over at once, head spinning from the sudden turn of events. He bent over the body, checking it even though deep inside, he knew that it was beyond hope.

_Who...?_

Someone had just shot and killed the security guard. The someone was, no doubt, still somewhere in the supermart. Maybe he was still around the vicinity, his next target being the two of them...

Abruptly, he stood up and scanned the aisles, gazing around frantically.

"There's nobody around at all," Yamato hissed, his eyes swivelling from one corner to another. "Whoever shot him – where the hell did he disappear to?"

"I don't know! Yama, this guy just _died_ right in front of our eyes. We've got to do something!" His partner cried, panic growing in his voice. He couldn't take his eyes off the body, which was still warm. The guard had died with his eyes open, bulging out as though from anger...

"I know, but – " Yamato turned, expression upset, then suddenly remembered something that made him stop in his tracks. "Taichi..." he whispered, his eyes widening in fear. "There's a shooter loose around here – and Takeru... Hikari..."

Taichi got up at once, the fear engulfing his entire body increasing tenfold. Their siblings were somewhere in the mart, blissfully unaware that there was danger amongst them... who knew where the shooter was now, and what he was up to next? This was serious - they were all in very real danger. He had to find his sister before anything happened to her.

A sudden, terrified shriek pierced the air. In that instance, Taichi forgot everything except for the fact that his sister was somewhere in the mart while a shooter prowled, looking for his next prey. Without further ado, he turned on his heel and broke into a run, Yamato close behind.

* * *

_12:18am_

Should he get a new hard drive? He didn't really need one, but for some reason he felt like spending money just for the heck of it. He picked up a beautifully wrapped computer mouse, shaped like a bright red sports car, and smirked. Ah, what the heck. He threw it into his shopping basket.

These weekly trips to the supermart had become a routine for him. They were lonely, but at least they were better than staying at home, he supposed. He used to spend his nights in front of his computer, surfing the net, visiting online forums and feeling happy that he at least did fit in somewhere, even if it was only over the internet.

He had started working at a hardware store recently as a salesperson. He wasn't too bad at it because he knew about the gadgets well. But it got boring. He was the type of person that got bored easily, always on the lookout for a challenge.

He was about to examine a fancy looking device when an earth-shattering crash startled him. He turned abruptly, but there wasn't anybody around. Of course – the crash had been loud, but he could tell that it wasn't from nearby. It sounded as though something heavy had been dropped onto the floor. Tins or cans or something of that sort, probably. For someone who plugged into earphones so often, he had pretty sharp ears.

Sharp ears that had picked up something that many people hadn't manage to. A hollow, resonating _bang_ well-hidden by the crashing noise. It sounded just like...

The firing of a gun.

But it couldn't be, of course. Things like that happened all the time in the computer games he played and the movies he watched. He was probably thinking too much, as usual. He had always wondered how he would react if he was ever caught in a situation like this. It would definitely be a challenge, all right.

He made his way to the cafe that was conveniently located within the supermart. Another customer stood, waiting for his drink to be served, and he queued behind him.

The guy turned around. He looked smart, with owlish glasses and shoulder-length hair that gave him the look of an unkempt scientist. "That was some crash, wasn't it?"

He set down his basket, smiling slightly in response. "I wonder what happened," he replied. And he really did.

* * *

_12:28am_

"Did you hear that?" Ayame, one of the two cashiers on duty that night, let out a groan. "It must be that clumsy security guard! Sounds like huge cleanup duty for both us later."

"We're cashiers – we don't need to do cleanup duty, do we?" She replied, surprised. "Can't the cleaners do it?"

"There isn't anyone working now besides us and the guard, and he's a real lazy ass," Ayame replied, sounding cross. "I think they employ far too little people for night duty, but what can I say? Nobody would listen."

She smiled in response. "I think you're right. _I _wouldn't want to do any cleanup duty," she wrinkled her nose at the thought of mopping up spilt food, or even worse, some drunkard's vomit. "They should definitely hire more people."

"You've got a customer," Ayame said suddenly. She turned around quickly, ready to greet.

A hooded, tall figure walked over, holding hands with a red-headed girl dressed in sports attire and clutching a tennis racket. The girl looked familiar, but she couldn't quite remember from where. What struck her more was the expression on the girl's face – she looked so frightened.

"Hi, how may I help you?" She chirped friendlily, noticing that neither one of them were holding any goods for payment.

On closer look, she saw that the hooded person seemed to be half-dragging the girl as they approached the counter. Something was a little odd here. Furtively, she placed a finger over the red button that could be used to call up the guard in case of any sticky situation. The figure, which she took to be male, bent close to her and spoke softly, his voice low and husky.

"Lock all the doors. Now."

"I'm sorry?" Startled, she pressed down on the button without meaning to. "I'm afraid I..."

"I told you, lock all the doors now." He sounded slightly fiercer and the red-haired girl stared at her, eyes pleading. She knew at that moment that something was up and immediately pressed the button once more. Where was that security guard? Ayame was right – he _was _a lazy ass. It couldn't take him more than two minutes to get here – the guard's room was pretty near the counters.

"We can't do that," she replied more firmly. "The mart is open 24 hours, and we – "

"I repeat one last time - _lock the doors_." There was a dangerous undertone in his voice now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something. "Or she dies." He jabbed a finger at the redhead, who let out a soft whimper.

He put the object back into his pocket almost at once, but she had managed to catch a glimpse of it. The sight of it stilled her heart, and for a split second she felt frozen, scared, unsure of what to do.

It was a gun.

She turned to look at Ayame – from her terrified gaze, she knew that the other girl had overheard the conversation.

"I – I'll lock them now," she had the keys that night, and she fished them from her pocket, trying to stop her hands from shaking. "P – please don't hurt her."

She walked over as fast as she could to the main gates of the mart, not daring to turn around. Terrible thoughts filled her mind – the real reason behind the crash, possible reasons behind why the security guard still had not appeared, and that right at that moment, with her back turned, he might just be getting ready to shoot her...

She turned the key in the lock, acutely aware of the fact that she had just trapped everybody inside the mart. She walked back to the counter, trying her best to remain calm. Inside her head she tried to formulate a plan. He was holding out his hands for the keys. She didn't want to give it to him, she really didn't – but what choice did she have? She tried to remember if there was a spare set in the guard's room. Yes, she was positive there was. She couldn't panic – she had to remain level-headed to be able to come up with something...

She looked up at him and suddenly realised that he was holding up the gun right at her. Before she even had time to scream, he pulled the trigger.

There was a deafening _bang_ and she cried out, the shot masking her scream. It took her a full minute to realise that he had shot at the telephone that was next to the cash register. Behind her, she heard Ayame let out a dry sob.

What was once a telephone was now a tangled, smoking mess of wires and plastic. She recoiled as the smell filled her nostrils. _Don't panic. Both of us have cell phones, and any one of the customers is bound to have one too. This mart is huge. There has to be someplace where someone can hide and call the police..._

He cocked his head slightly and the hoodie that had been hiding half his face slipped off his head.

She recognized him at once. The red-haired girl turned, frightened, and in spite of herself, let out a gasp of recognition.

A slow, confident smile spread across his face, and he tucked the gun back into his pocket. "I know what you're thinking, _Mimi_," he whispered, eyes fixed on the nametag fastened onto her blouse.

**TBC**

**So many revelations! I didn't want to reveal the characters so quickly, but I wanted to speed up the story a bit. Five characters down, eight more to go... :)**

**Reviewers, reviewers, where art thou? It's not that big a deal but reviews **_**are **_**my main motivation for continuing a story... so if you're reading this right now, please click on that pretty green button and leave me a REVIEW! :D I hope I can get 10, then I'll be happy! And me happy = more updates! Hehe!**

**And one last thing that I thought I had better mention for acknowledgements' sake: some of my chapter titles are from song lyrics. Chapter one's is from ****Tonight**** by Hard-Fi, and this chapter's (four) is from ****How To Save A Life**** by The Fray. Just two of my favourite songs!**


	5. Glaciers Melting In The Dead Of Night

**I love you guys! 19 new reviews really made my day! :D :D**

**I have replied everyone's reviews through the review reply thingy, but for my anonymous reviewers:**

**Serenityrose: **Thanks for reviewing this time round! Reviews make my day! ^__^

**Raech: **Heh heh... don't you just love cliffhangers? I'm not going to be revealing the identity of the gunman anytime soon, though I'll be unveiling more hints as the story progresses!

**On with chapter five! **

**

* * *

**

**Hostage  
Chapter Five: Glaciers Melting In The Dead Of Night**

_**

* * *

**_

12:32am

"Oh God, you are taking FOREVER." He groaned, running a hand through his spiky brown hair. "How long does it take to choose one lousy peach?"

"Firstly, I am not choosing a peach. I am choosing five peaches, because it's so much cheaper that way," she informed him as she examined the fruit in her hand. "And secondly, we have all night! Or day, to be exact. What's the rush?"

"I'm just really hungry," he complained.

"Why don't you go grab something and meet me back here?" She asked absent-mindedly, turning the fruit over. She nodded in satisfaction and put it into the plastic bag she was holding. "Your favourite Morinaga Chocoballs are on sale, I saw just now. You can go grab some."

"Really? Where?" He asked at once, perking up visibly.

"Next to that enormous stack of cans. They always put their sale items there."

"Oh, right," he beamed. "Be back soon! I bet you'll still be choosing when I get back."

He jogged off and she smiled to herself. It really didn't take much to make her best friend happy.

* * *

_12:42am_

"Oi! Guys! _Guys!" _

The couple looked up in surprise as two familiar figures rushed over to them, calling out in low, anxious voices. As they neared, they realised, to even greater surprise, that the two people were none other than their own elder siblings!

"Yamato?" The younger blonde said, blinking. "I didn't know you were here, too!"

"There's no time for idle chit chat," Taichi cut in before Yamato could reply. He turned to his little sister and she stared at him, knowing at once that something was up. It wasn't easy to upset her brother, but the look on his face told her that something had disturbed him greatly. "What's wrong, Taichi?" She asked urgently.

Yamato glanced around uneasily, and Taichi spoke quickly. "There's a shooter loose in the mart, guys. He shot the security guard just now, we saw it. He could be anywhere – we've got to get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

"Wha – are you serious?" She stared at him, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words immediately. They had been having such a perfectly peaceful time just a few seconds ago. Panic and confusion filled her mind as she quickly absorbed the information. A dangerous shooter in the mart – guns weren't even allowed in Japan! And he had killed someone, too... Taichi grabbed her by the shoulders just then, shaking her out of her reverie.

"No time to think, Hika! We've got to get out of here!"

"We should call the police, shouldn't we, guys?" Her boyfriend spoke up quietly. He reached into his bag, searching for his cell phone as he spoke. "We don't know where the shooter is. For all you know, he could be at the entrance now, preventing anyone from escaping. It's probably better to hide somewhere and call the police, isn't it? After all, this mart is huge."

Hikari glanced at him. He didn't look very worried or frazzled; on the other hand, he looked as calm and collected as he always did. She knew that hardly anything fazed Takeru... but this was an extremely dangerous situation, and he didn't seem scared at all.

The tightening of his grip on her hand, though, told her something else.

"You're right," Hikari conceded, looking at the two older boys. "We had better go find a safe place to hide."

The two exchanged looks and nodded.

But they had barely taken a step when an ominous _whoosh _filled the air; and suddenly, the world was pitch black.

* * *

_12:40am_

She jumped when he called her by her name. _How does he know? _She wondered briefly, then saw him staring at her chest. Of course - her nametag was pinned on her blouse.

"Please," she whispered, sounding far braver then she really felt. "What do you want?"

His eyes narrowed. He had pulled his hood over his head again, but she had caught a full glimpse of his face. She could recognise it anywhere, and she wouldn't be surprised if Ayame or the other girl knew who he was, too. It was still hard to believe. He was one of the last people that she would ever think of becoming a serial shooter...

"I want you two," he nodded at her, and then at Ayame, "to take me somewhere."

"W-where?" Her voice was trembling. He smirked and she felt repulsed by his apparent joy at her fear.

"To the power room."

She turned to look at Ayame. Tears were rolling down the other girl's cheeks. Silently, Mimi prayed that the girl wouldn't do anything to set him off. Ayame was such a volatile character, and could be so utterly unpredictable...

They would have to lead him to the power room. There was no other choice. Perhaps on the way, they could alert a shopper and get the cops. She just hoped he wouldn't shoot anyone along the way.

"Alright. We'll bring you there." She backed out of the counter carefully, and Ayame did the same. She watched him carefully as he did so. He was still clutching the hand of the red-haired girl, who was looking increasingly familiar to Mimi.

Ayame scrambled over to Mimi's side, choking back a sob. She took the younger girl's hand, hoping that the action would soothe her. Glancing back warily at him, she led the way to the power room. They met absolutely nobody on the way, and she didn't know whether to be relieved or upset.

They reached the power room and he marched forward at once, swinging the door open. Mimi had absolutely no idea what he was going to do, but an idea had struck her as he entered. Perhaps – just perhaps – she could shut him in? He had left the girl outside when he entered, and now it was just him inside, and the three of them were outside. There might not be another chance like this...

He was concentrating hard on some of the buttons and complicated wires – it was now or never! Before she could stop herself, she darted forward, grabbed the door handle as quietly as she could and made to shut the door quickly. He turned at once, staring right at her _– how did he know? –_ and she felt her blood run cold. He reached into his pocket. She screamed.

_Bang! _Another scream. _Bang!_

He emerged from the room, holding out the gun and looking grim. Half in shock and stunned that she wasn't riddled with bullets, Mimi turned, terrified at what she would see.

The red haired girl lay on the floor, clutching at her leg. Blood poured out profusely from two gaping wounds and Mimi stifled another scream. Ayame was clutching her hand so tightly it hurt.

"I've already told you, Mimi." She shrank back slightly as he spoke her name. "I know what you're thinking, and I won't hesitate to stop you." He smiled suddenly – a hollow, humourless smile that cast an inhumane quality on his face. His gaze shifted to the injured girl. "Oh, you poor thing." His voice was low and taunting. "I guess I've ruined your career, haven't I?"

He turned back to the power room.

The girl sobbed all the harder, clutching at her leg and gasping in pain. Mimi wanted to go over and comfort her, to help her, but she was so scared of what he might do next if she made any more movement. The world seemed to spin as she stared at the pool of blood forming around the girl's leg.

It was at that moment, as she watched on helplessly while the girl moaned and cried and pleaded, that Mimi finally remembered who she was; and she understood, with a start of horror, what he had meant by those words.

She had been featured in the newspapers very often recently, as the up-and-coming tennis star of Japan. At the age of nineteen, she had won a stunning array of awards, even managing to beat the country's current champion. Mimi had read the latest article about her in the papers: "YOUNG TENNIS STAR'S FAME-INDUCED PARANOIA: IS THE PAPARAZZI GOING TOO FAR?" Her name was –

_

* * *

_

_12:43am_

He had chosen his purchases, and he supposed there wasn't really much of a point in staying in the mart for any longer. He didn't want another angry phone call from his mother, after all. With a sigh, he picked up his basket and began a slow walk to the counter.

The sound of two successive bangs made him jump violently and he spun on the spot. Something was wrong. He could sense it. He should go alert the staff, any staff. Just in case...

He half-ran to the counter, relief washing over him as he neared, only to stop short at the sight before him.

There was nobody there at all. The cashiers had disappeared. Where were they? Before he could ponder this, he caught sight of the mangled telephone. Smoke was emitting from it. He walked over to it cautiously and caught a glint among the mess of wires. It didn't take him long enough to figure out what it was.

A bullet.

* * *

_12:48am_

Being good at mechanics and technology had paid off. He smirked as the darkness swallowed up the entire building and his vision was momentarily blinded. This was all his doing – all his! A bit of tweaking with the wire and the pressing of a couple of buttons, and he had sent the mart into even greater chaos.

He could hear the faint sobs of the three girls he was holding hostage. Knowing that he was the one to make them cry, to induce such fear in them made him feel a strange sense of exhilaration. It was a feeling that he had not felt for a very long time. He had almost forgotten what it felt like...

And boy, it felt _good._

He walked out of the power room. It was completely dark, but his keen senses told him where each of the girls was. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he managed to make out the faint outlines of the three of them. They were now huddled together, and the two cashiers seemed to be trying to stem the other girl's bleeding. _Those fools._

"Hey, Mimi," he said casually, and he saw one of the figures start. "Do you remember asking me what I want? Well, I think I may have found it."

He walked over to them and they stilled at once, their breathing harsh and ragged. He leaned even closer and stared unblinkingly into their terrified faces.

"I want to be in control."

* * *

_12:43am_

He had taken his own sweet time to go to the Sale section, mostly because he knew how long his friend was going to take choosing those darned peaches. She was one of his favourite people in the world, but she could really dawdle sometimes!

He stopped at the drinks section first and grabbed a bottle of coke. Then he grabbed a packet of wasabi crisps from the Junk Food section. As he made his way over to the Sale Section, a sudden, deafening noise rang out and he jumped violently.

That was weird. It sounded like gunshots, really, but he had too much faith in the safety of Odaiba to believe that was possible. Besides, guns weren't allowed in Japan.

He continued his stroll down the aisle. It was easy to push any disturbing thoughts out of his mind – he was probably the most worriless person he knew, frankly, and he told himself that the noises were nothing serious at all.

The lights flickered briefly, and he glanced up. They went out in a sudden, simultaneous flash, sending the world into pitch darkness.

Startled for the second time in five minutes, he jumped, dropping his can of coke. Cursing under his breath, he bent down and groped around until his hands found the cold metal can. This was really turning out to be a pretty weird night. First, the strange noises – and now, a blackout? He got up slowly, trying to get used to the darkness, and took a few tentative steps forward. He could hardly see what was in front of him. He had to gain his bearings, grab the chocolate and find his way back to the fruits section. The blackout didn't worry him too much, really. He had gone for plenty of night walks for his school camps last time.

He took another step forward and stepped on something hard. It rolled out from underneath his feet and he promptly lost his balance, flailing stupidly for a second before crashing down onto the floor.

"Ow..." He moaned in pain. He had landed hard on a strangely bumpy surface. With a groan, he pulled out one of the many "bumps" beneath him and held it right in front of his eyes. It was a can. A can of baked beans, to be exact. Right – make that the third weird thing of the night. He had fallen on a whole lot of cans. What next?

He stretched out, groping about blankly as he tried to lift his aching body off the floor. His hands brushed something smooth and incomprehensible, and he felt it instinctively, wondering what the heck he was touching. He tried to pick it up and felt it sliding off something. Standing up slowly, he held the object close for examination, like what he had done with the can.

It was a... shoe?

He blinked.

This was really starting to freak him out.

* * *

_12:53am_

His biggest fear when he was young was the dark. He _had _to sleep with the nightlight on and he remembered bawling his head off once when the nightlight spoilt. In the end, his brother had fixed it for him.

But that was years and years ago. He had gotten over his fear since then. But as the brightness of the mall vanished abruptly, replaced by the cold darkness, he felt the familiar swooping sensation in his stomach.

He groped in his bag at once and pulled out his cell phone, shining it in front of him. He told himself that the relief he felt was merely because he was glad that he could see properly, and not because it quelled the niggling sensation in his stomach. He made his way slowly down the aisle and turned. More out of shock than anything, he nearly gasped out loud to see a person in front of him, standing with his back facing him. There were cans surrounding him and he was standing stock still, apparently concentrating on something. His gaze shifted and it was all he could do not to shout out as he saw what was on the floor, lying barely inches away from the person.

"Don't move," he whispered, hardly daring to breathe.

**TBC**

**As you can see, I've added the time of the different occurrences. I think it makes things clearer and I've edited the previous chapters too. If anyone of you is confused with the timeline, feel free to ask me! Basically, the lights went out at 12:48am, and the timings jump around a bit but they all lead up to that moment. **

**Please review! I hope you guys enjoyed this! :) Not as much action in this chapter but I hope you guys still found it enjoyable. I'm so happy with how this story is turning out, this is like the only thing I update now! I won't be able to update for awhile until first week of May because of exams, though. Reviews are good stress-relievers! Heehee.**

**On Morinaga Chocoballs: Morinaga is a Japanese brand of chocolates and sweets. I DON'T OWN IT. They've got some really yummy stuff (Hi-Chew!! Yum!), but sadly they don't stock Chocoballs here, I think (I discovered it on Google!). **

**Chapter title is from the lyrics of Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.**


	6. Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

**MY EXAMS ARE OVER! I HAVE A THREE MONTH BREAK! *throws confetti and cheers***

**Which means, hopefully, that I'll be able to update/start on my new stories sooner! :D**

**Presenting chapter six… ENJOY. **

**(Chapter title: I remember watching this "scary" show when I was a kid called "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" so… that's where it came from!)**

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Six: Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

_

* * *

_

12:49am

The lights went off so suddenly that she let out a startled yelp, nearly dropping the fruits in her hands. Plunged into sudden darkness, she found herself unable to see anything around her.

She felt her grip around the plastic bag tighten – it was a little creepy, standing here all by herself in total darkness. The darkness seemed to bring out the silence of the supermart. She half-wished that she could hear the voices of the other shoppers; the crashing sound of somebody banging into a shelf would be enough to reassure her. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly and she let out a breathe that she had not realized that she had been holding.

_It's just a power outage. Get a grip. _She told herself sternly. Then it hit her that perhaps she should call her best friend. He was probably stuck at the Sales section, lost in the darkness as well. She groped around in her rather oversized bag, silently cursing the darkness for making it so hard for her to look for her phone.

_

* * *

_

_12:53am_

"Don't move."

The faint, scared voice that seemed to come out of nowhere made him jump. "Eh, what?" He responded at once. He had no idea that there were other shoppers in the vicinity. He turned around quickly and saw a boy who looked about his age standing before him, clutching a shining handphone in his hands. He was rather tall, with dark, longish hair, but it was his expression that caught his attention – he looked absolutely horrified.

"Don't move," he repeated hoarsely. It occurred to him that the boy was not looking at him but something on the floor. He glanced down at once.

"HOLY SHIT!"

He jumped backward, terrified, tripping over a few more cans in the process and landing once more onto the floor. This time round, though, the shock of what he had just seen was enough to engulf the pain.

This couldn't be real. He had to be imagining things... he _had _to be. That couldn't possibly be a body, dressed in full security guard-garb, lying still on the floor. That dark puddle surrounding the body (he shuddered involuntarily as the word popped into his mind) couldn't possibly be blood. Those pair of eyes, opened wide and staring into nothingness, _had _to hold at least a slight tinge of life in them. And the shoe in his hand… his eyes travelled to the feet and he felt a surge of nausea when he saw that one foot had nothing on but a rather hole-y sock.

He dropped the shoe at once, as though it was hot coal. Bile was rising up his throat and he picked himself up slowly, willing himself to calm down and look away from the body. It was such a gruesome sight, but it was almost impossible to tear his eyes away…

"H-hey, are you okay?" In his shock, he had momentarily forgotten about the other guy. He turned to him – his phone was still clutched tightly in his hands and he looked about as frightened as he himself felt.

"Look, let's get out of here," he said tersely. He did not want to stay here for a moment longer, stuck in the complete darkness with a dead and cold body lying next to him. It didn't feel good, leaving the body lying pitifully on the floor... but he was at a loss of how to handle the situation, and he needed to calm himself down first so he could think rationally. Something had gone horribly wrong, he knew that now. The bangs he had heard earlier, and foolishly presumed to be nothing serious, and the blackout – he could not help but think, now, that they must all be connected. Something was up. Something bad was happening in the mart… (he had the feeling he knew what, but the prospect was so frightening that he blocked all thoughts of it out of his mind) and they could all be in serious trouble. Action had to be taken, fast.

The guy was still staring at the body, face pale. Mustering up all the determination that he could, he took two wide steps forward, grabbed the other boy's hand and dragged him down the aisle and behind a tall shelf. The boy didn't respond or struggle, but he could feel him shaking. He was probably in shock.

Once they were a good distance away from the body, he stopped walking and let go of him. They stared at each other for a minute.

"Look, something's up," he said abruptly. "I heard a couple of bangs just now, and I thought it was nothing – but now…" he trailed off, gesturing uselessly at where they had just escaped from. "I think something has happened – you know – a shootout or something, and I don't know how because guns are banned in Japan and…"

"There's no time for discussion then!" The other guy whispered anxiously, raising his phone. "We've got to call the police!"

"Y-yes. We should." He couldn't believe that he had not even thought of that… surely that had to be the most crucial thing to do.

"Maybe," he suggested tentatively, as the other boy quickly dialled the number and put the phone to his ear, "we should go to the entrance area and see if we can get out. We could get help then."

The boy nodded.

They had barely taken two steps forward when he remembered.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered, clapping a hand to his forehead. _"Miyako!"_

At the same time, the boy put down his phone and turned to him, wearing one of the most defeated expressions he had ever seen.

"The line's tied up," he said.

* * *

_12:50am_

"S – Sora, right?"

The girl managed to nod in between her sobs, and Mimi felt her hands tremble all the more as she tried to stem the continuous flow of blood. All they had were their clothes (which were by now stained a dark crimson), and a packet of tissue she had found in her pocket, but it was of no use. Both she and Ayame had absolutely no medical knowledge, and she had no idea what to do.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered, putting an arm around the shuddering girl and drawing her close. On Sora's other side, Ayame did the same.

She could feel guilt surging hot and fast through her – Sora would never have gotten shot if not for her foolishness. How could she possibly have dreamt that she could have succeeded in locking _him_ in? If she hadn't done that, Sora would still be fine…

"Awww, how _sweet._" The voice sent chills down her spine and she looked up fiercely. She was so angry at his inhumanity, she wanted to scream and rage at him but at the same time, she was so absolutely terrified that all she wanted to do was break down and cry.

He walked over to them and Ayame let out a squeak of fear. Mimi saw, numbly, that he was holding two coils of rope in his hands. _Where had he gotten them from? _She wondered wildly, knowing with a sense of dread what was coming next. _Did he plan all this out long ago?_

"I can't have you three running around loose while I go about my next mission, can I?" He smirked at their scared faces. "Shhh," he whispered, staring right at Sora. "Don't cry, my dear girl… I'm not planning to kill any of you. Just cooperate with me, and you might make it out of this alive."

"What do you think you're doing?" Mimi half-shrieked as he began to unravel the rope slowly and deliberately. She made to get up but he reached into his pocket at once.

"I don't think you want to be the cause of any more injuries… or deaths, do you?" He asked icily.

She slumped back down onto the floor, defeated and well aware of their powerlessness. Next to her, Sora stiffened as he began to wrap the rope around them so that all three girls were bound together on the floor.

With the second coil, he began to tie their legs together.

"No!" Mimi cried out. "Please! Sora, her –"

The look he shot her was enough to silence her. He pulled the knot tightly around Sora's already wounded leg, and the girl let out a heart-wrenching scream.

He stood up, brushing his hands on his pants and looking extremely pleased.

"I guess I'll see you guys later, then." He smiled at them in an almost teasing manner, hands drifting casually into his pocket. Before anyone of them could react to this, he had turned swiftly and walked off.

* * *

_12:55am_

"I don't get it!" Takeru hissed in frustration, glaring at his phone. "The line's still tied up! What's happening?"

Hikari felt herself leaning closer to him for comfort. She was shivering, and it wasn't because it was cold. She was shaking because she was so, very scared.

"You don't think…" Taichi and Yamato looked at each other, wearing identical expressions of worry on their faces. "Whoever it is has done something to the telephone lines or something, right?"

"How is that possible?" Takeru demanded, looking up. "I don't think cutting the _police _hotline is any mean feat that anyone can carry out!"

"Neither is smuggling a gun around and carrying out a shootout in the mart," Yamato responded quietly.

A short silence fell among the group. Cursing under his breathe, Takeru dialled the number for what seemed like the hundredth time and put his phone to his ear.

"Did you hear that?" Taichi asked suddenly.

Hikari jerked her head up. Sure enough, she could hear a noise approaching. It sounded dangerously like…

Approaching footsteps.

Yamato got up at once. "It might be the shooter!" He hissed, pushing the other three roughly, looking around frantically for a new place to hide. "Up – upstairs. Now!"

_It might not be the shooter. _Wild thoughts were running through Hikari's head, but she got quickly to her feet anyway. _It could be another shopper who can help us…_

And then they heard it: the deep, taunting voice, laced with amusement and pleasure at their clumsy frenzy...

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

She let out a terrified squeak. The urgent whisper came once more – "Upstairs!" And the four of them broke into an abrupt run, trying and failing to be quiet, heading for what they hoped was the escalator…

* * *

_1:02am_

_Those fools. _How pathetic – he would let them run, tire them out... Where would they go, after all? The idiots couldn't even plan their escape well – that whisper had been loud enough for him to overhear. So they were planning to hide upstairs, huh? All the better for him. They would realize their foolishness when he found them, having unknowingly entrapped themselves above…

He took off his glasses and began to polish them slowly and methodically.

All his life, he had been doing things _their _way. Everything had always been planned out for him – without fail, no matter how hard he had tried, he had never been able to be in control. It had been stifling and uncomfortable, but who gave a damn? As long as _they _were happy, it was good enough for them. Who cared about what he thought?

Oh, everybody thought he was leading the perfect life. He had the looks and the brains and a wonderful family that was so rare in today's society. The girls drooled over him and the guys eyed him with envy and jealousy.

If only they knew.

Tonight was his only – and deep inside, he knew it was his final – chance to be spontaneous. Because if he were to remain in his old life for just one more day and listen to everyone but himself for just once more, he would go insane.

It was extreme – heck, even _he _himself knew that. He could picture tomorrow's newspaper headlines already: PUBLIC STUNNED OVER SHOOTER IDENTITY; PARENTS GREIVED OVER PRODIGY'S TURN, etcetera, etcetera…

It would be widely covered for a few weeks and then things would go back to normal.

And as usual, nobody would give a damn.

* * *

_12:55am_

"You know," he said nervously, turning to face the only other person in the café, "I think we should go ask the staff about this."

The blackout was most annoying. He had come here to cram for his examinations, and now here he was stuck in the dark, having spilled his drink in shock and now with absolutely no way of reading his textbook. The girl behind the counter had run off, saying that she was going to find the security guard. More than five minutes had passed and she still wasn't back.

"It's just a blackout," the other guy – an average, nondescript guy whose most eye-catching feature was his fire-red hair – replied as he leaned back against his chair. "Nothing to worry about at all!"

He frowned at the tone – was he mistaken, or was that _excitement _he heard? Was that guy actually pleased over the fact that there was a blackout? He paused, trying to formulate a reply.

"What's your name, by the way?" The redhead spoke just then, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh – I'm Kido Jyou," he replied at once. "And you are…?"

"I'm Izumi Koushirou," the guy answered readily. Jyou heard rather than saw him stand up and approach his table.

"I know you probably think that this sounds weird," Koushirou said quietly, the same unnerving excitement in his voice, "but I think something funny's happening here. Those bangs we heard just now – do you really thing it's just a crash? It sounded _nothing _like things falling down. And now, this blackout… this mall is pretty new, right? Don't you find it weird that the lights went out so suddenly… and that the girl isn't even back yet?"

Jyou stared up at Koushirou's face. His eyes were bright, his expression open. _Excited_ was the only word to describe him. Looking at the stranger in front of him, he could not help but feel distinctly unsettled.

"I'm sorry to sound rude," he answered finally, "but why do you sound so… I don't know… happy about this?"

Koushirou chuckled at that – a strangely bitter laughter that contained no humour. "Why not? This has to be one of the most exciting things that has ever happened in my life."

That settled it. This guy was a freak.

Jyou stood up and pushed back his chair, picking up his bag and his textbook. "I'm going to the counters to ask the cashiers what's up," he said, suddenly eager to get away from Koushirou and leave.

"Ah, why not?" Koushirou said easily, falling into step with Jyou as he started walking. "I'll come with you."

* * *

_1:00am_

"I don't get it!" He sounded positively panicked now, staring at his phone in frustration and fear. "The line's busy, I can't get through! I must have tried for a million times!"

"Maybe it's just your phone?" He replied uncertainly, even though inside he didn't think so. "Hold on – I'll try mine…"

The other boy nodded wordlessly in reply, still staring at his phone.

He fished out his handphone but at that moment, it rang – a shrill, cheerful ringtone that made both boys jump. He pressed the answer key at once, terrified – what if the shooter had heard? He grabbed the other guy's arm instinctively, leading him away toward another aisle.

"Hello?" He whispered into the phone.

"Dai! It's me!" The familiar voice of his best friend filled him with such relief that for a moment, he quite forgot the situation they were in. For the past few minutes, he had been so worried about his best friend, stuck alone in another part of the mart while a shooter prowled around on the loose. He had never been happier to hear her voice.

"Miyako, listen," he whispered back urgently. "There's a shooter in the mart. There's no time to explain now, but this is dangerous. You've got to hide somewhere safe, alright? I'm with another shopper, but somehow we can't call the police, the line is tied up!"

There was a split second's pause. "What?" Miyako whispered back, voice now full of fear. "I – I – how – Daisuke, where are you?"

He looked up at the sign and the other boy flashed up his phone obligingly, as though he knew what Daisuke was looking for. "I'm at the Toiletries section," he answered softly. "But that –"

"I'm coming to find you now!" Miyako replied determinedly.

"What? _No! _It's too –" But the line had already gone dead. Daisuke stared at his phone, annoyed and angry. That was just so typical of his best friend. Did she even have any idea what sort of situation they were in? She was going to get herself right into danger's path if she went on like this… "I've got to find her," he whispered, but the other boy grabbed his arm.

"You can't do that." He said quietly. "What's going to happen when she finds her way here, and you're not here? We've just got to lie low here. She'll be fine."

"I…" Daisuke sighed and slumped down onto the floor, feeling utterly defeated. "I guess you're right."

"We should… try calling the police again?" The other boy continued tentatively, gesturing to Daisuke's phone.

"Right. Right." His mind was still filled with worry. Distractedly, he dialled the hotline, only half-concerned about whether anyone would answer.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

**TBC**

**Zomg! So many identities revealed already, eh? If I'm not wrong, that only leaves two mysterious identities left, plus the SHOOTER… ;) (I dropped so many hints this chapter, in case you haven't noticed.)**

**Thank you, too, to all my wonderful reviewers. I've decided that I'm not going to care so much about how many reviews I get anymore, because I'm having so much fun writing this. But of course I'll still love it if you guys just click on that lovely green button and drop me a review! How was this chapter? The real action's coming soon… if you think the plot's moving too slowly, please be patient!! :D**

**Special thanks to guavawolf, who pointed out a rather stupid mistake that I made in my Author's Note last chapter... I unwittingly revealed someone's identity. I've rectified it and I don't think anyone else noticed. Anyway, I've revealed his identity this chapter – it was Daisuke. Thanks dear! :)**

**Also, Raech has provided a very nicely summarized description of the shooter so far in his/her (Um? Sorry!) review… except for the nagging mother bit. I think you mixed that up with another character. But thanks anyway!!**

**Plus thanks to Blazing Chaos for pointing out my mistakes!**

**Lastly, thank you to all my other reviewers: Oo-Violetmoon-oO, Aster Selene, PrincessJaded, Cara Miro, Light-of-Hope-07, SugarSpiral, Jaeda Star, emotionless-robot and HLTY! Thanks for your reviews, they were a great motivation!!**


	7. The Doctor’s In the House

**It's been quite awhile since I've updated my favourite fic! :D I know I said last chapter that I don't really care so much about reviews anymore, but I was kind of delaying myself from updating till I got at least 10 reviews for the chapter. Well, I've got 'em now… so let's get it on!!**

* * *

**Hostage  
Chapter Seven: The Doctor's In the House**

_

* * *

_

1:04am

Kido Jyou walked briskly toward the counter, or as quickly as he could in the pitch darkness. He could hear the heavy footfalls of his new acquaintance right behind him, and he rather wished that Koushirou could walk more quietly. If something really was up, then it was definitely necessary for them to be discrete and silent.

"Your sense of direction is pretty good, huh?" Koushirou remarked. His voice seemed to echo in the silence, though Jyou couldn't figure out how that was possible – the supermart was so huge, after all. He winced involuntarily, and it took him all his willpower and self-reminders of the importance of good manners to refrain from telling Koushirou to keep his big fat mouth shut.

The rest of the walk remained blissfully silent. Soon enough, Jyou could make out the faint outline of the aisle and at once, he quickened his steps.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

No answer came. Upon closer inspection, he realized with a start that all the counters were empty. There wasn't a single staff in sight. Perhaps they had all gone off to fix the blackout? But that didn't seem right somehow. Surely somebody should remain at the counters to guide lost and confused shoppers?

"There's somebody over there," Koushirou said suddenly, standing so close to Jyou that he jumped at the proximity of his voice – he had not notice him approach.

Jyou looked at the direction that Koushirou was gazing at at once.

Sure enough, there was somebody standing by the entrance…

Pulling and tugging at the doors with all his might.

Something _really _wasn't right.

* * *

_1:06am_

He sighed and pulled back his sleeve, checking his watch. The fluorescent digits indicated that it was just past 1am. Time was ticking by fast, but he wasn't worried. He didn't doubt that at least one of the shoppers would have tried calling the police, but oh – like _that _would work…

Being smart had its perks sometimes, he supposed.

He did a quick mental note – the security guard had been taken care of long ago, the cashiers and the famous tennis player (_make that ex-tennis player, _he thought with a dry chuckle) were tied up and incapable of escape, and a bunch of idiotic shoppers had currently trapped themselves on the second level. He doubted there were many more left, but there were probably some lurking about. Dealing with those could get a little tricky.

"Excuse me?"

He turned around swiftly and came face to face with a frightened-looking girl, staring up at him with huge eyes. She was wearing what looked like a paper hat and an apron that seemed to glow brilliantly in the dark. The words "ODAIBA SUPERMART CAFÉ" were written across the front.

Their eyes met and her eyes immediately widened with recognition. The fact that she could recognize him despite the darkness somehow irked him more than ever. He thought he caught a faint glimmer of delight in her eyes too.

The foolish girl had apparently forgotten about her worries, because a tiny smile played on her lips as she spoke. "Aren't you – ?"

Well, that just wouldn't do, would it? He couldn't possibly let some silly fangirl blow his cover. Unseen by the girl, his hand crept quickly into his pocket.

The ear-splitting bang drowned out the girl's last words.

* * *

_1:11am_

She held out her phone at every sign so as to make out the words on them, and every once in a while she found herself looking over her shoulder.

She had nearly jumped out of her skin upon hearing yet another gunshot. Someone in some other part of the mall had most probably been… She forced the thought out of her mind – it would never do to panic right now.

She nearly cried out with relief when the next sign she flashed her phone at read "Toiletries". She scurried forward, only to let out a quickly stifled squeak as she stumbled upon something and fell…

Right into somebody's lap.

She gasped and scrambled up at once. The person she had fallen onto was a boy that looked around her age, with slightly long hair (she couldn't make out the colour in the darkness) and a miserable expression on his face. She turned slightly and saw, with another wave of relief, her best friend sitting right next to the boy.

"Daisuke!" She gasped, remembering just in time to keep her voice low. "Oh my gosh… I'm so glad to see you! Did – did you hear the gunshot just now? What're we going to do now? Shouldn't we call the police?"

Daisuke only sighed in response, looking as defeated as the stranger next to them. "He's being trying for over ten minutes," he muttered, gesturing to the other boy. "We can't get through to the police. Maybe the police line has been tampered with or cut by the shooter – a wild guess on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm right."

He looked so sullen and defeated, unlike the Daisuke she was accustomed to. Then she felt a tight grip on her hands and realized, with a jolt, that he was gripping her hands very tightly with his own.

She smiled at him and squeezed his hands gently. _We can get through this. _

She turned to the stranger, who was still staring at his phone. "I'm sorry, but you are…?"

"I'm Ichijouji Ken," the boy answered quietly, looking up.

"Ichijouji?" Miyako blurted out in spite of herself. "Isn't that - ?"

"We haven't got time for this," Daisuke interrupted at once. "Now that we're all together, let's try and get out of here, alright? Let's go to the entrance. We're only putting ourselves in danger by staying here."

"We've got to make sure we stay out of the way of the shooter, though," Miyako said uneasily.

"I suppose we'll just have to risk it." Ken responded, getting to his feet and turning to the other two. "We don't have many other options. So… shall we go?"

Daisuke nodded in answer and simultaneously, he and Miyako got to their feet as well. "Let's go."

* * *

_1:03am_

"Here," Taichi hissed, spotting an ajar door in the corner. With him leading the way, the four ran as fast as they could toward it and stumbled into the room. Rounding up the rear, Yamato slammed the door shut and Hikari whipped out her phone so that they weren't shrouded in complete darkness. A split second later, the other three followed suit.

Flashing their phones around, it soon became apparent that they had hidden themselves in a rather large storage room. Stacks of goods and dozens of large cartons were neatly stored, and there was just enough space for them to sit on the dusty floor. There was a brief silence as they all tried to catch their breaths.

"What are we going to do now?" Takeru spoke up after some time. "We can't get through to the police, and we've successfully trapped ourselves on the second level… the shooter's bound to find us sooner or later."

_We've successfully trapped ourselves on the second level. _Hikari felt her blood run cold at those very words. What with the panic that had accompanied the appearance of the shooter and the hasty escape, that had not occurred to Hikari at all. The looks on Taichi and Yamato's faces told her that that they were thinking the same thing.

Taichi looked at the storage room door. "I think it can be locked from the inside," he said, turning the lock underneath the handle. It clicked softly, indicating that the door was now locked. "We'll just have to keep our voices down. Besides, maybe there was just something wrong with our phones just now. Let's try again – it's bound to work."

"Alright," Hikari managed a smile at her brother and then looked down at her phone, dialing in once more the now-familiar numbers.

She tried not to think about the niggling thought in her mind – whether any of them would be able to make it out of this alive.

* * *

_1:07am_

"What're you doing?!" Quite forgetting to keep his voice low, Jyou and Koushirou ran forward to the entrance. A teenager was standing by it, pulling and tugging at the handle for all his worth. They could see faint beads of perspiration on his face, which also wore a panicked, desperate expression.

"Something's – horribly – wrong!" The boy gasped in between tugs. "The blackout… the bangs… I came to the counters and – there's a bullet in the telephone – someone shot it! And the doors are locked! Something's wrong. I think there's a shooter loose around here!"

The words tumbled out of his mouth in a jumbled-up manner, and it was rather difficult to make out what he was saying. The boy was in shock, Jyou could see that. He was studying to be a doctor but really, he was also very interested in the field of psychology.

He reached out and gripped the boy tightly by the shoulders, turning him around so they were face to face. "Look – you're panicking, and that isn't going to help matters. We're going to think of a way to get out of this, but before we can do that, you've got to calm down."

He could feel the boy's shoulders shaking and tightened his grip, all the while maintaining eye contact. _Calm down, don't panic. I can help you. We can do this._

"What's your name?" Koushirou asked, walking over.

The boy stared at both of them. "Hi – Hida Iori," he managed finally.

"Iori." The look on the younger boy's face somehow seemed to hit close to home – Jyou could still remember how he himself was like when he was that age. There hadn't been a need for there to be a shootout and being trapped in a supermart to make him feel so lost and scared then – it was a feeling that he had been accustomed to all throughout his teenage years.

The years of indecision, of family pressure, of stress-inducing examinations… enduring all those years was what had brought him to where he was now.

And yet he still wasn't sure if he had made the right choice.

_BANG!_

The sudden, ringing noise snapped him out of his reverie. Even Koushirou jumped, and Iori let out a cry of terror.

Jyou looked at Iori. Given the boy's state, it was best that they moved away from discussing about the gunshot they had just heard. Koushirou looked as though he wanted to speak, but Jyou cut him off with a look. Turning back to Iori, he asked, "did you try calling the police?"

Iori nodded. "I couldn't get through. I tried many times, but the line was just tied up."

Jyou grimaced – this was _bad_.

"I've never faced anything like this before," Koushirou whispered suddenly, next to him. "This doesn't seem to be the same now that it's in… real life."

What the hell was he talking about?! Jyou couldn't care less now, but another worry had popped suddenly into his mind. "Do you think there're any injured people lying about?"

Koushirou stared at him. "If they aren't dead from the shots, then yes, I suppose there are."

Jyou glared at him. "Will you stop acting like nothing's _wrong_!" He snapped, and immediately felt bad when Koushirou seemed to shrink back, an unreadable expression flashing across his face.

"Look, I'm sorry, but this is just stressful," he sighed, looking around at the two of them. "It's just that – if there're any injured people, I've got to make sure they're okay. I've got to tend to them."

Iori bit his lip. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Hadn't his father always told him that as a doctor, their patients took top priority before everything else? That the motto of a good doctor was to give their all, no matter the circumstances, to save the life of another human being? In the past, those words had done nothing more than to add to his insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, feelings that never quite went away.

Yet now, the images of victims lying wounded and bleeding somewhere in the mart aroused a feeling in him, one that his father's passionate speeches had somehow never managed to invoke. He might not be a real doctor yet, but he wasn't far from being one.

It was his duty to help.

"Are you sure you're… capable?" Koushirou asked, sounding slightly more hesitant now after Jyou's outburst.

"I'm a doctor," Jyou replied instantly, the words coming so quickly to his lips that he surprised even himself. A sense of pride that he had never, ever felt before from growing up in a family of doctors, from acing all his examinations, even from getting into a top-notch medical school… was slowly creeping into him now.

"It's my duty to make sure they're safe."

But Iori's eyes had suddenly widened and his body had gone rigid; he was staring past Jyou at something he couldn't see.

He whipped around at once.

"Now, now… do we have a doctor here?" A dark figure was gradually approaching, his features indistinct in the dark. "We can't have that, can we?"

Koushirou let out a gasp and took a step backward. Jyou glared, feeling a strange, unusual sense of determination.

_We can get through this._

* * *

_1:15am_

"We're here!" Daisuke whispered to the other two as they neared the doors, where the familiar counters and aisle stood.

"Wait a minute – do you hear voices?" Ken hissed suddenly, flinging out a hand and bringing the pair to a standstill. Hardly daring to breathe, they crouched low behind some tall shelves, straining their ears for a listen.

Ken was right – they could just make out voices, but they weren't loud enough for them to hear what was being said. Miyako found that she was shaking with fear, and Daisuke gripped her hands tightly, silently willing her to calm down.

_BANG! BANG!_

Miyako almost screamed – Daisuke quickly clamped a hand over her mouth just in time. Ken crouched down even lower behind the shelves, acutely aware of how close they were to the path of danger.

And then it happened very suddenly, so suddenly that nobody saw it coming…

There was a soft _whoosh, _a brief flicker from above – and the lights came back on all at once.

"Oh my," Miyako whispered so softly that only the three could hear, but Daisuke glared at her all the same.

"_Do you think?" _He mouthed at Ken, and the boy nodded.

Very gingerly and as carefully as they could, the three poked their heads out just a little, for barely a fraction – just enough to be able to see what was going on.

Daisuke felt himself pale at the sight, and his grip on Miyako's hand tightened. The girl's eyes widened with revulsion and shock, and then she ducked back, unable to stand the sight for one second longer.

Ichijouji Ken stared at the figures in the distance, terror and fear filling up in him so quickly he felt close to bursting. It couldn't be – it just couldn't be…

He stood up and the other two let out gasps of horror – Daisuke tried to pull him back down but Ken shook him off violently. The one thought that was pervading his mind now drove everything else out.

"PLEASE!" He cried out desperately, running out from behind the shelves and toward the counters. _No. No, no. This cannot be happening. _"PLEASE – DON'T HURT HIM!"

**TBC**

**Ah... the climax!!! It all boils down to this... what does the ending of this chapter mean??? I really hope you guys aren't too confused or anything!**

**Please tell me what you think! *points at review button* CLICKY!**

**Thanks so much to my reviewers for chapter six: SugarSpiral, Aster Selene, Oo-Violetmoon-oO, PrincessJaded, Light-of-Hope-07, Cara Miro, emotionless-robot, guavawolf, Raech (ooh, good guess! But this story is AU! XD) and shef01animetize! Love you guys loads!**


	8. When The Truth Comes To Light

**SO HEY YEAH HEY YEAH! NEW CHAPPIE! *CHEERS***

**

* * *

**

**Hostage  
Chapter Eight: When The Truth Comes To Light**

_

* * *

_

12:58am

"Mimi?"

Ayame's voice was soft, scared and tentative, breaking the short silence that had fallen among them. After a bout of futile struggling, the three girls had sat slumped together in the dark. Sora's head had drooped limply onto Ayame's shoulder about five minutes into their failed attempt to break free – she must have blacked out. Her harsh, ragged breathing even while unconscious worried Mimi greatly.

"Yes?" Mimi whispered back.

"I have a pair of scissors in my pocket," Ayame's almost inaudible voice was caught imperceptibly by Mimi's sharp ears.

"Oh. My. God. Why didn't you say so earlier?" All at once, those few words had sparked a renewed hope in Mimi. Of course – the cashiers sometimes carried a pair of scissors with them to help customers cut price tags and such. Maybe, just maybe - this could be their tool to escape.

"How are we going to get it out?"

"Try… shifting a bit…" Mimi could make out her fellow colleague resume her abandoned struggle, stretching her hand as far as possible toward her pocket. Now she could see just a bit of the scissors sticking out, unnoticed before – so near, yet so far…

She shifted her hands as far as she could too – she could just manage to grasp Ayame's skirt. Saying a silent prayer, she jerked up Ayame's skirt as hard as she could just as the other girl reached out valiantly to grab the scissors.

It was a miracle – it _had _to be, and Mimi felt tears of relief jump into her eyes as Ayame somehow managed to catch hold of the scissors as it was jerked out.

But that was only the first part.

Under frantically whispered instructions, Ayame began to slice the blade against the rope. Mimi stared with bated breath, feeling increasingly jumpy as she watched the blade slowly slice through the thick rope. It was a good thing that the scissors was sharp, but still – this was taking quite a long time, and she was beginning to imagine hearing noises everywhere; every little pinprick of a sound made her jump, and her eyes swiveled all at once in every direction, her mind racing with thoughts of blood and murder.

It took about ten minutes, but the rope finally came off. Mimi leapt up at once, gently laying Sora down onto the floor. Ayame, too, got unsteadily to her feet.

"It – it's so dark," the girl whispered dazedly, gazing around with a lost expression on her face.

Mimi turned to the Power Room. The door was slightly ajar.

There was nothing for it.

"Wait here," she whispered to Ayame, before dashing into the room.

The sight of a whole array of buttons and knobs of different sizes, shapes and colours greeted her. Mimi squinted at all of them, confused and uncertain. She had no idea which one to press to get the lights back on. It could be any one of them!

And then out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a few stray wires dangling by the main switch, and her heart sank.

He had cut the wires. She should have known.

They would have to stumble their way through the dark, it seemed – there wasn't any other option, was there? Feeling defeated, she was about to turn to leave when she caught sight of a bright yellow button on the wall.

**"EMERGENCY POWER SWITCH"**, it read.

Without thinking twice, Mimi reached out and pressed it as hard as she could.

* * *

_1:19am_

"The lights are back on!" Yamato breathed, looking up as the room was suddenly awashed with brightness once more.

The hope that shone in Takeru's eyes was comforting – Hikari could feel her spirits rising already. "That must mean that the police have arrived and they've managed to get the lights back on, right?" He asked, gazing avidly at the other three.

Taichi looked a little uncertain. "You never know," he said slowly. "It might not've been the police who did it."

"I say we go and find out," Takeru stood up so suddenly that all three of them looked up, stunned. "We can't just stay here forever; it's getting pointless! If the police aren't here, then the shooter's going to find us sooner or later anyway."

Hikari looked up at the determined face of her boyfriend and didn't know what to feel.

He was always like this – determined and optimistic, sometimes to the point of being overly-so. She had always known this; after all, she was often the exact opposite in this aspect.

But in this situation of life and death… opposites wouldn't work out. They had to stick together.

After all, it could be the last time they ever did.

She stood up, too.

"Let's go," she said firmly, nodding at him. "But we have to be careful."

It came as a relief when the two older boys got up as well with no complaints, only a mere exchange of looks. Hikari had the feeling they knew what she was thinking.

_

* * *

_

1:20am

There was only one thing running through Ichijouji Ken's head as he leapt out from his safe haven, from behind the shelves that separated him from danger.

He did not think once about his own safety at that point of time. He couldn't care less. What - _who _- he had just seen had driven any logical thought out of his mind. Only one single thought ran repeatedly through his head as he dashed out, ignoring Daisuke and Miyako's hisses of warnings, and as he stumbled right into the middle of the scene. He nearly slipped on the pool of dark red liquid on the floor and just managed to regain his balance.

In spite of himself, he looked down.

He was standing in a large pool of blood.

He felt the bile rise in his throat but tried to contain himself as he looked up again at the scene in front of his eyes.

There were two people standing by the locked doors – a horrified, trembling teenager with brown hair, and a slightly older, red-haired man who looked close to fainting.

Then there was him. _Oh, God_. He had dark blue hair, just a shade lighter than Ken's, and he was lying face-up on the floor. Absolutely motionless. Ken had to avoid looking at him, but it was so difficult.

The man's glasses were askew, his eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling above… and Ken was standing in a pool of his blood. There was a gaping wound on his head and another on his chest – he was undoubtedly dead.

The killer could strike again anytime. Ken had no idea which one of the two it was, but he couldn't let them do it. That was why he had dashed out - he wasn't going to let the shooter get _him_, too. Never. Getting a hold on himself, he turned and ran toward the nearest counter, where the oh-so-familiar figure stood. It was so hard to believe that they had only just seen each other this morning, under such normal circumstances, with no idea that the next time they see each other could be in such horrific circumstances...

"O – Osamu!" Ken managed as he approached his older brother. He hadn't been able to believe it at first, when he had first peeked out from behind the shelves. Been unable to believe that he had just seen his brother standing boldly in the middle of such a dangerous situation (What was he even doing here?! Wasn't he supposed to be at home, studying for his exams?!) - right in the face of death. The disbelief soon changed to frantic worry with the memory of the two consecutive gunshots. All he knew, then, was that his brother was in danger, could be the next to be shot... and in that instant, there was only one thing Ken cared about : he was _not_ going to let that happen.

"Are you okay? What are you doing here? I – " He stopped, realizing that he was babbling, that he was wasting time. He turned and glared as fiercely as he could at the other two men. Widening his legs so that he was completely blocking Osamu from any harm, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Please," he managed. "Don't hurt him – he's my brother!"

They only stared back at him. Ken could see the fear in their eyes. Behind him, Osamu was quiet. His brother was always quiet during tense situations. He had once told Ken that the silence helped him to think better.

The younger boy was positively trembling, clutching on tightly to the redhead, and as Ken stood guardedly there, staring at both of them, he began to feel just the tiniest bit of doubt creep into his mind.

He turned slowly back to his older brother, feeling a strange and unfathomable sense of dread as he did so. The situation before him was starting to register in his head, bits and pieces slowly clunking into place, like a complicated jigsaw puzzle. His frantic thoughts were trying to make out the bizarreness of it all – was it normal for a serial shooter to look so scared and frantic, as the two men did?

The look on his brother's face, on the other hand...

He couldn't tell what it was, but it definitely did not resemble fear.

"Osamu?" He whispered tentaively.

His brother took a step forward and placed a comforting hand on Ken's shoulder. Ken couldn't help but notice the dark, oversized hoodie that he was wearing. He had never seen it before. If they made it out alive, Ken swore to himself that he would ask Osamu where he bought it from – yes, they would have a real conversation, one that had been lacking so sorely between the brothers for too long.

_Please, please let us get through this alive..._

Osamu was reaching into the pocket of said hoodie. What was he doing? Uncertainty growing even more now, Ken looked into his brother's eyes. They were filled with an unreadable expression – was that regret he saw?

His hand withdrew slowly from his pocket now. It was clutching something that was half-hidden by the pocket, but Ken thought he recognized what it was.

He recognized, but didn't believe.

And suddenly Osamu was speaking, the words laced with bitterness and regret. It did not match his blank, closed expression.

"I'm sorry, little brother."

**TBC**

**ARGH! CLIFFY! And yes, I admit it. This chapter sucked to the nth degree. Not to mention it's kinda shorter than usual. Please be gentle with me. =(**

**So yes, a lot of you got it right at the end – the shooter is none other than Ichijouji Osamu, Ken's genius of a brother! DUN DUN DUN… e-trophies for you all!**

**Thanks to Aster Selene, PrincessJaded, emotionless-robot, Kirae-Remi, Cherry, shef01animetize, Hedgi, becky199756, guavawolf, Oo-Violetmoon-oO, Cara Miro, Jaeda Star, SugarSpiral, Yeesha and LoveIt123 for reviewing!!!**


	9. Unity Is Strength

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Nine: Unity Is Strength

* * *

_7:20am_

_It was yet another normal school day._

_Ichijouji Ken ate his toast by the kitchen table quietly whilfe his father browsed the morning newspaper and his mother sipped her coffee. It was quiet, as it always was – Ken never had anything to say to his parents anymore these days. Whenever he tried to talk to them about something, the topic would somehow end up revolving around his older brother. He felt guilty and petty because this greatly annoyed him, but he couldn't help it._

"_Osamu's taking a long time getting ready today, isn't he?" Mr. Ichijouji wondered aloud as he folded his newspaper._

_There was a short pause as a concerned look passed across Mrs. Ichijouji's face. "He has been unusually quiet for the past few days. Do you think he's feeling alright?"_

_Ken glanced from one parent to another. "I'll go and see if he's okay." He said, getting up from his chair._

_He left the kitchen and headed quickly for his brother's room. For some reason, just getting away from his parents allowed him to breathe slightly easier._

_He was just about to knock on the door when it opened, causing him to startle and jump back slightly. Osamu stood in front of him, bag slung over his shoulder and a quizzical look upon his face._

"_You were taking longer than usual in there," Ken explained. "We wanted to make sure you were okay."_

_How he missed the days when they could still talk freely together. They used to be so close. There was a time when a three-year gap felt like nothing. They would play together and read their favourite storybooks together. Then Osamu seemed to grow into a world of his own. He excelled in sports and academics and was the highlight of their sleepy little town, and their parents' mundane lives. Ken couldn't pinpoint exactly when it started, but soon after they began to drift apart._

_The expression Osamu wore when Ken spoke was one that Ken had long gotten used to. Closed-up and neutral, such that he was unable to tell what his older brother was thinking._

"_I'm fine," he said, offering the tiniest of a smile. "I just had to go through some stuff for school. Come on; I'm starving."_

_And he walked off to the kitchen, nearly bumping into Ken with his bulging bag. _

_

* * *

_

_1:22am_

For what seemed like an eternity, Ken stared up blankly at his older brother.

Was that really his older brother standing in front of him, pointing a _gun _right at him?

He couldn't believe it, he just couldn't. And while a tiny voice in his head was screaming at him to get a move on – to run away and hide somewhere – he just couldn't bring himself to move. His mind was trying its hardest to process everything that he had just seen. The dead man on the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. The two men cowering behind him, shivering with fear. Daisuke and Miyako, hiding behind the shelves and watching the whole scene in terror. His own brother, the one responsible for the horrific shooting at Odaiba Supermart that was sure to go down as sensational news…

And even with all these running through his head, he found himself thinking, desperately believing something else, hoping against hope that he was right.

_He won't shoot me. He won't. I'm his brother._

Their eyes met just then and Osamu's finger pressed down lightly on the trigger.

"Believe me, Ken. I never expected you to be here. If I had known, I would probably have changed my plans." Osamu's voice was flat and toneless, but Ken caught the slightest tremor as he spoke. "But it's too late now, isn't it? I've been planning this for so long. I've been wanting to prove to everyone, especially Mum and Dad, that I'm not the perfect being that everyone's made me out to be. When _you_ make mistakes, Ken, it's fine. But when I do something wrong, it's like the world has come to an end. I have feelings too, you know! I'm sick and tired of all this and I want all of you to know that I'm capable of falling… hard."

He sighed and shifted tiredly on his feet, tilting the gun for a better aim.

"You'd only be a hindrance now if you remain alive, Ken. I'm sorry."

Ken opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Osamu's words had hit him hard.

All this while, Ken had envied his brother, desiring to be as great and intelligent and smart as him. Little had he known that Osamu had felt exactly the same way.

How could he not have known? What kind of brother was he?!

"_WATCH OUT!"_

There was a deafening bang as Osamu pressed down the trigger, and before Ken had time to react, he saw a blur of brown hurtling toward him, followed closely by a high, girlish scream.

Something heavy was pinning down on him. The impact had caused him to slide a good few metres, so that his back was now against the locked doors. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes (he hadn't even realized he had closed them) and saw a familiar figure lying on top of him.

Motomiya Daisuke glared at him, but it was a weak glare. With a jolt, Ken saw that the other boy's hand was clasped over his stomach, which was bleeding profusely.

"You were such an _idiot._" Daisuke hissed.

* * *

_1:33am_

"Did you hear that?" Ayame whispered fearfully.

Mimi nodded. Her heart had wrenched painfully at the sound. She could only pray that whoever the unfortunate victim was, he or she had suffered a quick and painless exit.

"We have to find some way to get out." She said quietly.

"But what about Sora?" Ayame asked at once, looking down at the pale, injured girl. "She can't move at all." Beads of sweat covered the tennis player's face and as Ayame spoke, Sora stirred ever so slightly.

Mimi did not answer immediately; she was thinking hard.

She had recognized the shooter instantly when he had revealed himself to her. She had seen him on television so many times – he was practically famous in the whole of Japan! He was every teenage girl's idol, every parent's dream child, the perfect student to all teachers. At the age of twelve, he had rose abruptly in all aspects of life, excelling in his studies and school activities. His looks, while not stunningly handsome, were not half-bad, and that had only served to increase his fame. Ichijouji Osamu, Boy Genius. Pride of Japan.

And now, Serial Shooter.

His intelligence was boundless. Mimi had no idea how they were going to make it out alive, but she was going to try, even if it meant risking her life. That was just the kind of person she was. People looked at her pretty face and immediately assumed she was weak - they couldn't be more wrong. She was, in fact, one of the strongest people she knew.

"I'll just take a quick look over at the counters. There might be a spare key to the entrance there." She told Ayame. "I'll be back in a few minutes – we should stick together. You stay here and look after Sora, okay?"

Ayame nodded her assent and Mimi got up at once, taking quick, light steps toward the counters.

* * *

_1:28am_

The four of them were as silent as mice. They had practically tiptoed down the escalator, before exploring the first floor area as quietly as possible. They had found some grotesque sights on their way to the exit, which they could only hope was still a plausible means of escape.

They had walked past the same dead security guard that Yamato and Taichi had stumbled upon, and also a young girl lying face up on the floor, a paper hat lying limply by her side. Hikari recognized her at once - she had been a senior in her cheerleading team, and sometimes worked nights at the Supermart's Café. But there was no time to mourn or shed tears now. They had to move on quickly. Hikari cast the body a final look. _I'm so sorry. We'll come back for you._

As they walked, it became evident that the police weren't here. It was too quiet, and there were no people in uniform patrolling the areas at all. Their feeling of unease grew as they neared the exit. Who could it have been, then, that switched on the lights?

"Look," Takeru whispered suddenly, pointing. "There's somebody over there."

The other three turned at once.

They could see the backview of a girl crouching behind some tall shelves. Even from a distance, they could tell that she was trembling with fear. She had long, violet hair and it appeared as though she was clutching something.

They made their way over at once, bent low so they were all safely behind the same shelves. It was a relief that the shelves were big enough to successfully hide all of them from what was on the other side.

Taichi tapped her lightly and she practically jumped out of her skin. Luckily, she managed to remain silent as she turned and stared at the four of them.

"Quiet," she mouthed immediately, gesturing to the shelf and evidently, what was behind it. "Shooter."

Then she jabbed at what she was holding – a long, rectangular box; it was a roll of aluminum foil.

"Weapon." She added silently.

* * *

_1:36am_

Osamu frowned. He could have sworn he had heard a scream – one that sounded like a girl's, no less. But there were only guys here – unless it was the redhead or the other kid, both of whom looked like they were close to peeing in their pants? To tell the truth, it didn't seem unlikely.

Osamu had to admit, he had been shocked by the nerve of this new boy, leaping out and putting himself in danger just to save the life of someone he didn't know. Ken was still pinned beneath the boy, whom Osamu had ended up shooting in the stomach. He could tell that the boy had been lucky – from the way he was coping, no vital organ had been shot. Who knew how long he could survive the rapid blood loss, though?

"What's your name?" Osamu asked casually, letting his hand fall. The gun hung limply from his fingers as he spoke.

Daisuke could feel himself weakening – it hurt even to glare. But he wasn't going to back down easily. "What's it to you?" He snapped, wincing as he spoke.

Osamu sighed and shook his head, looking amused. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your heroic deed, kid. You saved my brother and injured yourself in the process."

He smiled and cocked his head to one side. Ken's expression was fearful and filled with disbelief, as though he couldn't believe that the person standing in front of him and talking in this manner was his own brother. Osamu concentrated on Daisuke instead. He didn't want to look at Ken's face; it was too distracting.

"Unfortuantely, though…" he sighed and shook his head sadly, staring right into Daisuke's eyes. "Your heroic deed is going to be the last thing you'll ever do."

* * *

_1:35am_

Even despite his fear, Izumi Koushirou could see that Osamu had let his guard down ever so slightly. His gun was hanging loosely from his fingers – for now, at least, he was no longer in attack mode.

He was scared, no doubt. He was standing right in front of a shooter, with no shield in between them. Sure, Osamu was distracted now – but it was only a matter of time before he turned his attention to him and Iori.

He stole a glance at Jyou. The man's eyes were glassy and wide, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Koushirou wasn't one to cry, but he felt the back of his eyes burn as he looked at the man who, for the briefest moment, was almost like a friend to him. Even more significantly, he had died trying to help them.

How could he just stand here quaking? He was letting Jyou down, wasn't he? If he was going to die sooner or later, why not die doing something meaningful? His whole life, after all, had been fairly meaningless. He had done this whole heroic saving-the-world thing thousands of times in his computer games. Perhaps this was a sign. It was time to do _something... _in real life_._

His life had always been so boring… but hey, at least he was going to go out with a bang.

Ignoring Iori's fearful look, he edged ever so slightly to the counter and his hand clasped, unseen by anyone, over a paperweight.

He hoped sincerely that his aim was good.

* * *

_1:37am_

Mimi felt herself pale at the sight in front of her and quick as a flash, she ducked behind a shelf.

Osamu was at the entrance, surrounded by a bunch of frightened shoppers. That meant that she, Ayame and Sora were too close for comfort.

_The Security Guard's Room! _She thought suddenly. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? The security guard's room had all sorts of appliances, even an emergency telephone. They could hide there and contact someone outside!

She scurried back to where the other two were at once, but the sight that greeted her made her stop abruptly.

Sora lay still on the floor as she had been just now, moaning slightly in pain. But… Ayame was gone.

Mimi felt the now-familiar flicker of panic rush through her. The idiot girl… hadn't she told Ayame to stay there, that they had to stick together?

"Ayame?" She called softly, unable to raise her voice for fear of being overheard. "Ayame… where are you?"

_

* * *

_

1:38am

Miyako was growing frantic with worry. She was so, so worried about Daisuke – and Ken, too. It was so typical of her best friend to commit some stupid, heroic act like this… but he was going to get himself killed this way! Osamu's words caused a chill to run down her spine. He was going to kill them all. She had to do something.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight the redhead doing something. Osamu, thankfully, had missed it, so intently was he talking to Daisuke, but Miyako had noticed. The boy had managed to grab hold of a paperweight, and she saw that his gaze was fixed on Osamu's right hand. The hand that was holding onto the gun.

It hit her at once what the guy was going to do. It seemed so dangerous and so impossible. Could he possibly succeed?

Osamu seemed to have finish speaking. _No! Don't look up now! _She thought desperately. The redhead was now concentrating hard on aiming the paperweight at the Osamu's gun-hand.

Miyako couldn't let him fail.

She got up ever so slightly, leaning a bit further against the edge of the shelves, causing the other four newcomers to stare at her in surprise.

Saying a silent prayer, she swung her arms and threw the box of aluminum foil hard.

It hit Osamu right smack on the head.

**TBC**

**So I couldn't think of a better chapter title. Yeah, cheesy. XD **

**So! Everyone's identity have finally been revealed, and it looks like more action is on its way, eh? Please do offer your constructive comments for this chapter, because I'm a little unsure about it. It seems a little shaky, somehow. :/**

**Thanks so much to my reviewers for chapter eight: Aster Selene, LoveIt123, emotionless-robot, Oo-Violetmoon-oO, guavawolf, shef01animetize, PrincessJaded, becky199756, SugarSpiral and BenignUser! While I'm sad that I've been losing reviewers really rapidly (people, what am I doing wrong?), you guys have been great. :)**

**Special thanks to PrincessJaded and emotionless-robot, both of whom knew certain identities before they were revealed but kept them to themselves so well; and also, to BenignUser for reading all eight chapters in one go and being the 100th, 101st and 102nd reviewer!! Love you guys!**


	10. We All Fall Down, Like Toy Soldiers

**I wasn't exactly in an updating mood, but I wanted to finish up a story as quickly as possible - five uncompleted stories just seemed a bit too many! Out of them all, Hostage was the one closest to the end, hence this rather quick update!**

**This is the second last chapter of Hostage and sadly, it isn't all that impressive. I mean, finales should be impressive, no? I'll just have to work doubly hard and make up for this in the final chapter, I suppose...**

**Read on!**

**

* * *

**

Hostage  
Chapter Ten: We All Fall Down, Like Toy Soldiers

_

* * *

_

2:30pm

_This particular Friday, Ichijouji Osamu did not attend school._

_He left the house together with his brother. They separated shortly as they had to go in different directions – their respective schools were located quite far apart. After making sure Ken was well out of sight, Osamu had doubled back and gone straight to the park near his house._

_It was ironic how he had decided to go there. He knew very well that his mother liked to go for a walk at the park every day. Going there meant that there was a high risk of being spotted. And given what he had planned today, it would be for the best if nobody saw him lurking around instead of being in school._

_He wondered why he felt oddly disappointed when his mother never appeared._

_Leaning against the back of the uncomfortable park bench, he fingered the straps of his bulky bag. If one were to open it then, they would be greeted by the side of a huge, heavy-looking coat. It hid the object beneath well – the shiny, metallic object that he had managed to obtain through stealth and dark connections that no one would ever imagine him to have. _

_Just a few more hours, Osamu told himself. In less than 24 hours this will all be over._

_He could hardly wait._

* * *

_1:39am_

Koushirou was ready to aim. Iori was standing as still as a stone, staring at him out of wide, fearful eyes. He seemed to have realised what Koushirou was up to, though, because he had somehow managed to stop himself shaking, as though thinking that if he remained as still as possible, Osamu would be less likely to look in their direction.

The fact that Iori was staring at him like that, though, just made things look more obvious. Koushirou bit his lips and prepared to swing his arms. He thought he saw Osamu move his head slightly in their direction –

A sudden sound made him jump. For a wild minute he thought Osamu had fired again – then it occurred to him that the sound was nothing like a gunshot. Then he saw, clearly, the sight before him, and an involuntary gasp escaped from his lips.

Osamu had stumbled – yes, _stumbled –_ nearly falling over in the process. Right next to him, a long rectangular box of aluminum foil lay on the floor, together with his glasses. Koushirou had no idea what had happened, but he gathered quickly that somebody – _who? – _must have flung that box at Osamu. The aim had fortunately been excellent – the shooter's glasses had been knocked off, a clear advantage to them.

But Osamu's gun was still in his hands, and he raised them up now, looking around sharply as he tried to figure out who it was that had thrown the box. Koushirou could've cried with relief as Osamu, instead of looking straight at him, turned around to look behind instead –

He had only seconds to act, but Koushirou had forgotten what his original plan was, what he had been planning to aim at. He forgot how impossible the feat was, and how dangerous the situation was becoming. He could hear two consecutive gunshots being fired, but he didn't register them. His mind was a complete blank as he drew back his arm and threw with all his might.

* * *

_1:35am_

Mimi had told Ayame to stay put, but the young girl couldn't stand staring at Sora's wound, fresh blood still leaking from it. How much blood had the young tennis star lost since the brutal shooting? Her face was ashen pale, and she let out occasional moans of pain. Ayame couldn't take it – the seconds that ticked by felt like hours to her. She wanted Mimi to come back now. She had only known Mimi for a few hours, but already she felt like the older girl was somebody she could depend on.

Then something caught her eye – one of the shelves within her sight – the one with the humongous, cheesy red-cross sign attached to it. The shelf that was stocked full with medical needs – aspirin, plasters, _bandages…_

She got up at once, whispering a quick reassurance to Sora as she headed briskly to the shelf. She didn't think that it'd matter so much if she just grabbed something from a shelf that wasn't far away (well, not _that _far) from where she was originally. She was sure that Mimi wouldn't be back so soon, after all.

Having reached the shelf, Ayame pored over the different items on it, looking frantically for the bandages. She finally caught sight of it and with relief grabbed hold of it. That was when she finally heard the voices.

It was just too unfortunate that she was the type of person who could easily tune out surrounding noises when she was preoccupied with something… be it reading, attending to chores or searching for something important.

She looked up and froze in horror. She could recognize the shooter instantly, even though it was his back view that she was staring at.

_I've got to run! _Was the first thought that ran through her mind and she backed away quickly… then froze once more in surprise as right before her eyes, Osamu stumbled. Hard. A long, rectangular object landed heavily on the floor next to him, together with something smaller that she couldn't quite make out. She had no idea what just happened… but her heart felt lighter. From what she could see, it seemed like something was happening against Osamu's advantage.

Then she remembered. _Sora. _She had to get back to the other girl soon. And Mimi might be back – she had taken longer than she had expected, searching for the bandages – and worrying about her disappearance. She turned to leave but just then, Osamu spun around.

She gasped as their eyes met. Even without his glasses, Osamu's expression remained unfazed and the look in his eyes was razor sharp – he had his gun held high, and his eyes narrowed as his gaze travelled to her hand…

He was aiming right at her head. Her feet were rooted firmly to the floor even as a voice yelled in her head for her to run.

Ayame opened her mouth to scream, but it never came.

And as the impact of the shots flung her onto the floor, and she lay feebly, mind so filled with horror about her nearing death that she hardly felt the pain…

As she felt her energy – _everything – _ebb away, she couldn't help thinking that for someone who was currently half-blind, he had bloody good aim.

* * *

_1:40am_

Ken stared without really seeing. His mind was a complete blank.

He had just seen his brother kill someone right in front of his eyes…

And he had been unable to do _anything _about it.

_CRASH!_

He jumped as something whizzed right over his head – he gasped as it hit Osamu's back. It was a paperweight, he realized, as the object shattered upon impact and glass pieces landed onto the floor. Osamu whirled around, stumbling a little once more as he did so. A slow smirk grew on his face and his eyes hardened into a glare as realization dawned on his face.

Ken spun around. The red-haired man, one of the two who had been standing by the counter, was staring at Osamu with fear in his eyes, hand still outstretched in a position that gave everything away.

Shaking his head, Osamu began to walk toward him.

"So many of you trying to play the hero today, huh?" He said softly, glancing casually at Daisuke as he spoke. "Shouldn't you know better by now than to mess with someone like me? After all… I'm supposed to be _perfect, _aren't I?" He let out a bitter, humourless laugh.

Ken knew without a doubt that Osamu was ready for his next kill. He was simply toying with his prey right now, enjoying how all of them were quaking at his feet. It both sickened and saddened him. This was not the Osamu he knew.

But then again... he wasn't sure anymore if he had even ever known the real Osamu.

* * *

_1:43am_

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…" Miyako whimpered, clutching onto the brown-haired girl next to her. She had just seen Osamu kill someone - seen him raise his gun and fire at a innocent, defenseless girl whose only fault was that she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had probably thought that the poor girl had been the one who had thrown the aluminum foil when it had really been her.

"Please, do calm down," the other girl spoke in a rather choky sort of voice. Miyako turned to look at her – her eyes were brimming with tears. Without thinking, she pulled the girl into a brief hug.

"I'm Miyako."

"Hi - Hikari."

It was funny how she felt strangely better after this quick dose of human contact.

"Hello?"

Miyako turned quickly. One of the guys who had joined her in her hiding spot – the one with wild, bushy hair that bore a certain resemblance to Hikari, was speaking quietly into his phone. He looked up, his expression one of great relief and delight. He gazed around at the others and gave them a quick thumbs-up.

"Mum? There isn't time to explain now, but you have got to call the police and tell them to come to Odaiba Supermart. I'm being held hostage there by a serial shooter - Ichijouji Osamu – along with some other shoppers and we can't get through to the police line." A pause. "Mum, you _have _to calm down – just do as I say, and we'll all be fine. You have to hurry. Please!"

He hung up and smiled weakly at all of them.

"If Mum doesn't lose her senses and do what I just said," he croaked, "I think we just might be able to make it out of this alive."

* * *

_1:45am_

Koushirou felt a thrill of terror as Osamu clapped a hand on his shoulder. He had thought knocking off those glasses would be a great plus on their side… but apparently not. The trickle of fear that had left him while he was throwing the paperweight had now returned, except now it was a hundred times of the original amount. He was going to die. He had known it was highly possible all along, but the realization of it was still worse than he had ever imagined.

Now he knew how Jyou - and that poor girl whose expression he would never forget - must have felt.

"I think it's time you bid this world farewell."

All hope lost, Koushirou closed his eyes as Osamu raised his gun.

"_NO!"_

There was a desperate cry and in spite of himself, Koushirou's eyelids flew open.

Hida Iori had been the one who had screamed. Distracted, Osamu turned to face him and Koushirou acted on instinct. Before he had even realised it, he lunged.

He fell heavily onto the floor, Osamu pinned underneath him. But even as they fell Koushirou knew he was on the losing side – Osamu was much more well-built and stronger, and he was struggling too wildly for Koushirou to handle –

He looked up at Iori, whose mouth was still open, gazing at the scene before him in shock.

"Iori," he managed to gasp out. "Help me!"

The cry seemed to knock Iori back to his senses. The younger boy startled slightly, then ran forward, the fear still evident in his eyes. For a minute, Iori stared at the gun held tightly in Osamu's left hand... and then he sprung into action.

* * *

_1:47am_

Ken could only look on, transfixed with horror, as the two men who had previously been trembling and incapable of any movement suddenly switched right into action mode. He stared in half-disbelief as one of them flung himself right onto Osamu and the other kicked his brother hard, right in the face.

For a second or so he felt a pang for Osamu. For the first time ever, his older brother was being defeated at something.

Then he remembered why they were doing this.

And even though the shooter was his own brother… he knew he had to do something. But his limbs felt like lead, for some reason – he couldn't bring himself to move.

"Daisuke!"

Miyako had dashed out from behind the shelf, running forward to her best friend. She bent over him, checking his wound hurriedly. Ken blinked in surprise as a brown-haired girl he had never seen before followed closely behind Miyako.

"Be _careful!" _Daisuke hissed, looking more scared than he had ever been now that Miyako and the other girl were putting themselves in such blatant danger.

The sound of another scuffle and more shouts alerted Ken's attention once more. It was as though he was watching a most exciting play – his attention was diverted quickly from one scene to another. It felt so surreal, somehow, as he watched three strangers dash out from behind the same shelves that he had been using as a hiding spot just a few moments ago. They were part of the struggle within seconds – the two blondes were pinning Osamu's hands down, while the other stranger was trying to prise the gun away…

At that moment, Ken knew it was all over for Osamu.

His brother may have had the upper hand at first, invincible with the one weapon that brought fear so easily into people's hearts. He had the brains and intelligence to make sure his plan went his way. He had the crazed courage that only one who was beyond reasoning could have. But ultimately, he was all alone - and that was his downfall.

"Daisuke! _Dai! _Wake up! Please… you've got to wake up!"

Miyako's hysterical shrieks rang in Ken's ears as he got up and headed slowly toward the mass of struggling people, trying their hardest to pin back Osamu and prevent him from escaping. The gun lay forgotten in a corner, a sign that in the end, he had lost.

It was impossible to win it all alone.

* * *

_1:51am_

The bangs and shouts alerted her attention. She had been feeling so torn, unsure of whether to look for Ayame, or tend to Sora, who was looking worse than ever, or to head for the Security Guard's room. In the end, the sight of the pool of blood around Sora's leg had won out.

Mimi felt a strange sense of foreboding as she neared the source of the noise, the place she had just escaped narrowly from minutes ago upon realization that Osamu was holding a bunch of people hostage right at the counters. Her footsteps quickened as the voices grew louder – and then –

"_Ayame!"_

If not for the blood, it would've been easy to mistake the girl's expression for one of sleep. Mimi let out a cry as she knelt down by Ayame's limp body. She didn't want to believe this, but the sight before her was irrefutable evidence. Ayame was dead.

"Why, Ayame?" Mimi tried to choke back her sobs, tears fogging her vision as she clutched wildly at Ayame's still-warm hand. "Why did you have to run off?"

And then she caught sight of the roll of bandages lying by the side and the realisation hit her. Unable to hold back any longer, she cried plaintatively, like a child. She leaned forward, hugging Ayame's body in her arms, the wails of the approaching sirens lost to her as she sobbed.

**TBC**

**Bah. **

**Oh, chapter title taken from the lyrics of the song "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eminem.**

**Thanks to emotionless-robot, Oo-Violetmoon-oO, Aster Selene, BenignUser, Catching Rain, PrincessJaded, Kirae-Remi, Diamone, guavawolf and digifangirl for reviewing chapter 9! **

**I hope you guys are looking forward to the final chapter as much as I am - one more completed fic for me... YAHOOOO!!!!!**


	11. Borne Back Ceaselessly, We Beat On

**I wanted to get this up sooner, but school has started and I got busy. Before I get even more swamped by the woes of education, though, I HAD to get this up... so here goes! The final chapter of Hostage! ENJOY!**

* * *

**Hostage  
Chapter Eleven: Borne Back Ceaselessly, We Beat On**

* * *

_1:53am_

He had never thought about how this would end.

But he had always known that at some point of time, it would.

And hence that was why he saw no reason to struggle or protest as the uniformed men broke easily into the supermart, aiming their guns straight at him. He remained so still when they handcuffed him that he knew it raised suspicions. He watched the men dispatch themselves to different parts of the mart, off to search for any survivors – or worse.

He knew that nobody would understand the reasons behind his actions. They might pity him, but they would still see it unreasonable – after all, he had _killed_. Perhaps he should be feeling guilty, remorseful, _anything_ – but all he felt was numbness.

Was this how failure felt?

His parents stood next to a senior officer, wearing identical expressions of dismay and horror on their faces. How had they known about this so quickly? Osamu could only assume it was because whoever had contacted the police had revealed that he was the shooter. One look at his parents and Osamu had seen enough. He refused to meet their gaze for even once more, choosing to focus on Ken instead.

His little brother was standing not too far off from them. Another police officer was talking to him, and he was answering them shakily, eyes darting ever so often in Osamu's direction.

As the policemen shoved him toward the exit, toward the police car parked outside, Ken's gaze shifted toward him again and this time round, their eyes met. Ken's eyes were filled with such guilt that it startled even Osamu. The expression on his face spoke volumes, words that were left unsaid… but he knew what they were.

_I'm so sorry._

He hadn't bothered to give his parents a second look because he could tell, from the first glance, that they still didn't get it. They didn't understand why he had done all this, and they probably never would. Their expressions of shock and confusion and utter disbelief told him that they were both wondering what had possessed their darling genius son to commit such a crime. He might have been aware that other people wouldn't understand… but it hurt somewhat when that included his own parents.

But –

Ken knew. Ken understood. Ken was the only person that got it, and yet Osamu had tried to kill him.

As he was pushed clumsily into the car, the strangest feeling of guilt and regret filled his heart.

* * *

**Aftermath**

_Last night's tragedy at Odaiba Supermart was one of the worst shooting cases ever to have taken place in the peaceful town. Authorities have confirmed the number of casualties. Four unfortunate victims were killed in the incident. They are 21-year-old Kido Jyou, an all-rounded Medical Student before his untimely demise, 19-year-old Saito Ayame, a cashier at Odaiba Supermart, 17-year-old Otsuka Yukiko, part time waitress at the Supermart's Café, and 47-year-old Mori Hachiro, a security guard at the Supermart._

_There were eleven other victims held hostage in the supermart, two of which suffered serious injuries from the shootout. One of them, in particular, is the up-and-rising young tennis star, Takenouchi Sora, who…_

_---_

For weeks, the shooting at Odaiba Supermart was the talk of the town. Quite apart from the usual bargaining, fishmongers and their regulars exchanged juicy bits of gossip and news updates over platters of raw fish. During recess times in school, high-schoolers pondered over it, trying to come up with the most ridiculous reasons why Ichijouji Osamu had ended up becoming a serial killer. And in offices everywhere, fellow employees got together for a quick, whispered discussion while their bosses' backs were turned.

Newspapers covered the tragic event in great detail. There were articles about the casualties – about what had happened to the injured, and about those who were unfortunately killed. Families of the deceased were interviewed. A failed attempt to interview Osamu's family was made. The aftermath of Odaiba Supermart was also written about.

But most of all, the choice of focus was Ichijouji Osamu himself.

The 20-year-old prodigy's trial had been long and drawn-out. Osamu had been famous even before the shootings for being such a multi-talent at a young age. The public was unable to bring themselves to believe that someone as perfect as him could have committed such a horrible crime.

It was only after two months that the verdict was made. Ichijouji Osamu would be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment.

He would never see daylight again.

---

For them, it was more than just an ordinary supermart.

Tachikawa Mimi had been near the point of hysterics when the uniformed men found her, clutching onto Ayame's bloodied body. Her throat had been raw from sobbing, and her body stained everywhere with Ayame's blood. They practically had to drag her away and it took more than an hour before she calmed down – collapsing, near to the point of fainting, into an officer's arms.

She resigned from her position as cashier shortly after. She needed the money, but the idea of facing the counters at Odaiba Supermart for once more made her feel so… hollow. It would be a long while before she would be able to bring herself to visit the place again. She had worked there for barely a few hours, and had known Ayame for barely less than one day, but it had felt like forever.

It was far too short.

She made regular visits to Sora, and a strong friendship gradually grew between the two girls. She took up a part time course in Sociology at a private school while waitressing at a cosy little restaurant near her apartment as often as she could. It was a difficult road, but Mimi was getting on with her life, picking up the pieces from where she had left off. She had never been the type to give up. Especially not now.

But neither would she forget. In spite of it all... Mimi wanted to remember. The incident had changed her life. She had done things she normally would never have thought she'd dare to do. She had forged strong friendships that had been broken too quickly and mercilessly. How could she bring herself to forget all these things?

She made it a point to visit Ayame's grave at least once a month.

* * *

The sight of her mother's face had never brought more relief to Yagami Hikari as they embraced, her burrowing as deep as possible into her mother's grasp for the comfort she so desperately needed. It had been such a stroke of luck, pure luck, that her brother had been able to get through on his phone and call his mother. A few minutes' delay would've probably cost all their lives.

She was calm the whole ride home and went to bed immediately - only to wake up in tears, having dreamt so vividly about the whole event. Then she did something she hadn't done since she was a little girl - she climbed gingerly up the ladder to the upper bunk, where her brother slept.

She had found Taichi huddled up among his blankets, staring blankly at the ceiling. He wasn't crying, but the despondent look on his face was enough to bring a fresh wave of tears to Hikari's eyes.

The two siblings had had such a long talk that night. That talk had helped both of them a lot. She hadn't thought she'd able to get through that night, let alone the rest of the days... but somehow, she managed. And she knew Takeru did, too. He had always been the optimist, but she knew he also had his breaking points. He never did tell her how he had managed to cope with the event... but Hikari was sure that one day, he would feel ready enough to talk about it. And when that time came, she'd be more than ready to listen, too.

Now, it was hard for both Hikari and Takeru to remember the days of fun they had at Odaiba Supermart. It seemed so long ago that this was once their weekly haunt.

The found it ridiculous when people, as an attempt at consolation, told them it was "romantic" that both of them had escaped such a terrifying ordeal together. Because what was so romantic about the deafening bangs of a gun, of being acutely aware that you could die any second, of seeing people die right in front of your eyes?

But it was true that the incident had given them a better insight of things. And despite it all, they decided to visit the Supermart two months after the incident.

It would never be their weekly haunts again, that was for sure. But they had decided to go there for closure. Hikari had told herself before the trip that she wasn't going to be the scared and weak girl she once was. Takeru told himself that he would finally let go of his facade of never-ending optimism. He would tell Hikari about the tears he had shed during the days right after the shooting, of the nightmares he had had for two weeks straight.

There was just no point in keeping things bottled up.

* * *

Strangely enough, the tragedy at Odaiba Supermart brought an emotion to Hida Iori experienced by none of the rest.

Embarrassment.

So he had thought the world of himself, thinking that now he was slightly older he was ever so much wiser. He had thought that with increased freedom and independence, he was free to do as he pleased. Raised in such a traditional family, it was ironic that he had so quickly forgotten the values that had taken years for him to learn.

The shooting had been a wakeup call to him. He knew it deep inside – for most of the time, he had been nothing more than a snivelling coward throughout the entire event, standing by the door and quaking away while the rest tried to come up with a plan to foil Osamu's tactics. He had come to his senses at the last minute. Koushirou said his shout had saved the day. But it had been a shout of fear and desperation, a coward's plea for help. It may have saved everybody's lives, but Iori wasn't entirely proud of it.

There were many things, he was beginning to realize, that he wasn't all too proud of. He had changed so much - too much.

Hopefully it wouldn't be too late to start fixing them.

* * *

When Yagami Yuuko dashed into the Supermart along with the armed officers, the first thing she saw was Taichi and Yamato pinning the shooter down, united in strength.

A split second later, the officers had taken over. Yamato had stood silently by the side and watched as she embraced her son and daughter.

Yuuko had always sort of known about Taichi and Yamato, but she had never wanted to think about it. Her husband would no doubt regard their relationship as a shame to the family, and she had to admit that she felt rather the same way. Same-sex relationships were still considered taboo in Japan. The realization that her son was in one was just… unbearable.

After the incident, though, she had given it a lot of thinking before making up her mind.

It was without hesitation that she told Taichi to invite Yamato over for dinner, and without hesitation when she gave the apprehensive blonde a genuine hug when the door opened. After dinner, as they all sat around eating cut fruit and watching television, she was the one to bring it up, much to everyone's amazement - the acknowledgement that she fully accepted their relationship. The smiles on their faces were priceless.

Life was so fragile. Anything could happen – even something as unthinkable as being held hostage in a Supermart by an idolized boy genius. Yuuko knew, now, that life was just too short for petty worries over matters like this. All it mattered for her was that her children were happy. When it came to relationship matters as such... who was she to judge what was wrong or right?

* * *

The moment Daisuke's eyes closed and his head lolled to one side had been the scariest moment of Miyako's life.

No matter how loud she screamed and shook him and begged him, he just couldn't wake up. His face was ashen pale and blood was still flowing from his stomach wound. She wanted the old, vivacious Daisuke back so badly it hurt.

She followed him in the ambulance, making anxious calls to both his and her families on the way there. And when they reached the hospital, she paced outside the operating theatre for half an hour before their anxious parents arrived, nearly in tears and frantic with worry as well.

When the doctor finally emerged, Miyako could have cried with relief upon seeing the small smile on his face. Daisuke would survive. While he had lost a large amount of blood, none of his vital organs had been hit and he would recover in two months or so.

Miyako visited him every week, updating him on the goings-on in school and bringing along with her the well wishes of their classmates. Sometimes, Ichijouji Ken visited too. They were slowly becoming friends, and Miyako was glad of that - Ken needed them. Daisuke saving him had formed a bond between them that was both rare and extremely precious.

She knew Daisuke looked forward to her visits - he told her that the hospital stays were a bore and the updates she brought with him made him feel more in touch with the outside world. He had also told her fondly that she was great company to have and one of the greatest friends he would ever have. _That _had thrown her off - it wasn't like Daisuke to be so open with his feelings.

But then, she had found herself changing in subtle manners in the weeks after the shooting as well.

These days, it was getting harder for Miyako to partake as ferociously as before in the duo's usual banters. She found herself giving in to him more, so much so that Daisuke would actually complain that she was being too much of a softie. And it was getting harder to keep the affectionate note out of her voice when she spoke to him.

Miyako had always cherished their friendship, but the truth was, it had taken a disaster of sorts to make her realize how much it really meant to her.

She knew that Daisuke felt the same way, too.

* * *

It felt so surreal, somehow – so out-of-a-movie as Koushirou's parents embraced him, filled with utmost delight that their beloved child had managed to escape the horrific event unscathed. Apart from their relief and delight, he knew that they also felt a sense of pride – proud of the fact that that night, their usual reticent son had been a hero.

The next day, when the house was empty and Koushirou was alone in his room, he finally allowed himself some time to think. He let the tears fall, wanting to be rid of the worst feeling of all – the gut-wrenching sense of grief he felt for those that had been killed. It was only after a while that he realized that this grief would never go away. It would always be a part of him. It was something he would have to live with.

And then he caught sight of his mahogany oak bookshelf. The middle two rows were filled to the brim with stacks after stacks of computer games, all played with so often Koushirou had memorized every single level sequence and cheat codes. Those shelves held a world of virtual reality that he had gotten so lost in that it had taken a tragedy for him to realize that he had quite forgotten what real life was like.

Mind made up, he went into the storage room and found a large paper bag.

It took him barely five minutes to clear the two shelves, and another fifteen minutes to lug the bag to the nearest Community Centre, where he donated all his games to needy kids that would surely need them more than he ever did.

It was time to start life anew.

* * *

The world felt hazy when Takenouchi Sora awoke. She blinked blearily, the memory of the past events fogging up her mind. As the images around her got sharper, she began to be aware of voices around her. "She's awake!" "Sora! Sora, are you feeling alright?" It made her dizzy.

Her mother was there, peering down at her anxiously. Next to her was her tennis coach, and on the other side was a girl that looked vaguely familiar – wasn't her name Mimi? She could feel herself being prodded at and touched… she didn't like it, and began to squirm.

"Please do stay still, Ms. Takenouchi. This will only take a short while."

Sora blinked. A young man – doctor, to be exact, for he was wearing the signature white coat – was bent over and examining her. Was she in a _hospital_? What was she doing - ?

Then it hit her. All the memories flooded back to her and she looked down at her legs at once. Her left leg was wrapped in an enormous cast, thick and unmovable.

She couldn't help herself. She screamed.

It took half an hour for everyone to calm her down, and for the doctor to explain everything. Sora had been unconscious for nearly three days already. Her leg had been seriously wounded, and they had lost precious time, not being able to get her to a hospital immediately. It was already considered extremely fortunate for Sora that her leg had not been amputated, that she would eventually be able to walk, albeit with a slight limp.

But there came the crushing truth – she would never be able to play tennis again.

For weeks, she wallowed in a pool of her own misery, hating her life and everything around her. Just like that, her lovely, bright future was gone. She had been destined to be one of the best national players ever – now what was going to happen? Tennis was the one thing she had been good at. It was what kept her going and boosted her self-confidence. Now, she was nothing.

Mimi visited often and Sora's parents came everyday. While she hardly spoke, deep inside Sora appreciated that.

It was another week later when Mimi arrived with a newspaper in hand. It had been folded to the third page and without a word, she handed it over to Sora. Looking up mutinously from her plate of unappetizing hospital lunch, Sora found herself looking down at four cheerful, smiling faces.

They were the faces of the four who had died in the shootings.

It felt like a punch in the gut to see all these faces, especially Ayame's youthful, beaming one. After ten minutes of unbearable silence, Mimi took a seat next to the bed and gently pulled the newspaper away from Sora's grasp.

They had the first long conversation together since Mimi's first visit.

From that day onward, Sora decided to "take control" of her life, as she called it. Screw those pesky reporters who couldn't stop writing about her downfall! Screw tennis and being an ex-famous national player! She concentrated on getting better, spending more time with her friends and family and her tennis coach, who remained close to her despite the fact that she could no longer play. It didn't take long for Sora to decide that when she got better, she would start training to become a coach, too.

She may have lost what was once near and dear to her, but in return she had gained experiences and friendships that were so much more precious. That particular newspaper article had taught her something. She was thankful just to be alive.

* * *

For once, he was the one in the spotlight…

And he didn't enjoy it. Not a single bit.

Wherever Ichijouji Ken went, he was bombarded with awkward glances, sympathetic smiles and occasionally, even an angry remark for being related to "a heartless, cold-blooded murderer". His classmates, after a few days of offering consolations and comforting remarks, tentatively began asking him about what had happened inside the supermart. Even reporters wanted to interview him, but he turned all of them down.

Was this what it felt like to be famous? To have your every move scrutinized and every word you spoke carefully taken note of? Ken had always wondered what it felt like – it had always looked so good. But now that he was actually experiencing it…

To say that he hated it would be putting it mildly.

Ironically, things remained unchanged in the Ichijouji household. Even in his absence, Osamu remained as the one who constantly captured the attention of their parents. More than once Ken had returned home from school to find his mother sobbing into one of Osamu's baby photograph albums. His father had taken to drinking outside and coming home late almost every night, crying and talking drunkenly about his oldest son.

It felt even more stifling than before to stay at home and Ken found himself staying outside longer and longer, loitering around aimlessly after school. Occasional bouts of comfort came when he visited Daisuke and Miyako, two people from the incident that he had strangely bonded with and formed a friendship of sorts with. Ken had also wrestled with the idea of visiting Osamu in prison, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. He knew his mother did, once a week. She had asked him to come along, but he had always declined. It was far too painful.

Four Fridays after the incident, Ken found himself boarding the train that would take him to Odaiba. His mind wandered as he walked, not really bothering about where he was going. The walk made him feel good. It helped to clear his thoughts, even if they would come back to haunt him when he returned home in a few hours' time.

The sound of laughter and chatter brought him back to reality and Ken blinked as the warm evening sunlight bathed his face. He gazed around and found, to his amazement and horror, that he had somehow led himself all the way to the entrance of Odaiba Supermart.

One month later, the Supermart was back to its usual hustle and bustle. It was evening and he could see harried mothers rushing to buy groceries with their children in tow, and amongst them more relaxed shoppers having just finished work and looking forward to enjoying the weekend. Through the glass doors he stared unblinkingly at every inch of the mall that was visible to him, until his gaze fell on the spot near the counters – the spot where he had lain on as his brother tried to kill him.

He had told nobody about this incident, not even his parents. There was no point… and a part of him wanted to protect Osamu's reputation from being even more tarnished than it already was.

Ken stood there for nearly an hour until people started to realize who he was. Having sympathetic looks and pointed whispers coming toward him in all directions became, once more, too much for him to bear. He rushed off to the train station at once, suddenly eager to rush back home and hide in his room.

It was nearly past dinner time when he reached home. The house was deafeningly quiet. His mother was sitting on the sofa, flipping through another album. This time, however, Ken recognized it as one of his.

She looked up and gestured for him to come over. This came as a surprise - usually Ken would be the one going over and trying to comfort her as she sobbed, before finally giving up and slinking back into his room.

"Your father is sleeping," she said softly, and Ken knew that meant he had been out drinking again. She smiled sadly and patted the seat next to her. Half-reluctant and half-curious, Ken sat down.

"You were always such an adorable baby," Mrs. Ichijouji said, her voice now slightly choked up. She closed the book with a sharp snapand turned to face him. He saw the tears swimming in her eyes.

"You've been so quiet since the incident," she whispered in a trembling voice. "And I know your father and I have neglected you. We never asked you how you felt about it… and you were there, too. You saw it all."

The memories of that fateful night four weeks ago made Ken feel suddenly light-headed. It was beginning to feel hard to breath properly, in fact. Ken swallowed and tried to calm himself down.

"I don't feel like talking about it much," he managed.

His mother nodded tenderly. "I understand."

She stood up, placing the album down gently on the coffee table. Unsure of what to do, Ken stood up too.

"I've been waiting for you to come back," she told him. "Shall we go and have dinner?"

He nodded wordlessly, a strange jumble of emotions dancing about in the pit of his stomach. It had been so long since he had talked properly to his mother like this, let alone eat dinner together. It just felt so… strange, but it wasn't unpleasant.

He had the feeling that his mother knew what he was thinking. Her smile was sad, concerned and understanding all at the same time. Was she trying to make amends? Ken had the feeling she was.

He could sense her fear. The fear that what she was doing now was far too late.

They walked into the brightly-lit kitchen together, talking softly. They hadn't had a conversation like this for so long. Was it possible that this would soon become a familiar occurrence?

For the eleven of them who had survived, Odaiba Supermart and that fateful Friday's events would forever be etched in their minds. Most of them would probably never want to return to the Supermart again. Ken didn't doubt that they were all still grieving over their fellow peers' deaths.

But for the rest of the world, life still went on. What he had seen this evening had been evidence of that. It would only be a matter of years, or even months, that the shootout at the Supermart become part of history, forgotten by most and remembered only by a few. It would be up to them to decide whether they would allow themselves to be swallowed up by the dark memories of that day, or to move on with the crowd and get on with their lives.

Daisuke, Miyako and the others were all doing fine. Even Sora, who had lost her career because of this, was coping better than before. Eleven bleak and ordinary lives had been transformed that very night, and ten of them had managed to regain their footing in this bustling passageway called life. Was Ken going to be the odd one out?

His mother's soft voice seemed to bring warmth into the large kitchen. Ken took his usual seat and picked up the bowl of rice, gazing at the familiar dishes that his mother cooked so often.

_I don't think so._

**:FIN:**

**

* * *

**

**Got the names for the dead OCs from my Japanese teachers. (Sorry teachers!)**

**Chapter title adapted from a quote from The Great Gatsby - "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."**

**And so there we have it. The End. Geez, I feel kind of sad now. I started Hostage with only a vague idea of what was going to happen. I didn't draw up a proper plotline or timeline, which was what I probably should have done before I started writing it. I've had writer blocks and also bouts of lovely writing storms when it comes to this story. This was the fic that started my enjoyment for writing mystery fics! And now it's over... and I'm feeling both happy and a little sad - happy 'cos it's over, and sad because I no longer have this story to write for.**

**A BIG thank you to AAAALL my reviewers, especially those who stuck to every chapter and reviewed every single one of them! Even though your names are not listed here, I'm gonna say... to EVERY SINGLE ONE of you - this chapter is for you! Without you guys, I would probably never have completed this.**

**I hope you guys have enjoyed the ride as much as I have!**


End file.
